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kk095 · 1 month ago

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Kenzie’s Cardioversion

*good evening! Since my New Year's story didn't post the way I had hoped, I figured I'd post a different story I had saved. If you're interested in the new years story, I still have the read only link posted. Anyway, enjoy!*

The automatic doors of the emergency department slid open as a paramedic team wheeled Kenzie in on a stretcher. She was propped up, her broad shoulders and thick, sturdy, 5’11 frame making her look larger than life against the narrow confines of the gurney. Her light brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her blue eyes darted nervously around the bustling ER. Dr Sarah, the on-call physician, approached with her clipboard, her demeanor calm. Nurse Heather trailed behind, ready for whatever was next.

“Kenzie Cole, 28 years old.” one of the paramedics began, keeping pace with the stretcher. “Fainted at home earlier today, now presenting with severe chest pain, palpitations, and a pinching sensation in the chest. BP’s stable at 118/77, but her heart rate’s been sitting around 130. EKG shows some irregularities we couldn’t immediately identify.” The medic continued, relaying the information.

Kenzie let out a shaky breath and winced as another wave of pain shot through her chest. “It feels like my heart’s tryin’ to jump right outta me!” she said, her southern accent soft yet evident. Dr Sarah placed a hand on Kenzie’s arm to ground her. “We’re going to take good care of you, Kenzie. I just need you to stay calm for me, ok?” Sarah told her patient. “Mhmm…” Kenzie nodded, a hand on her chest. “Let’s get her into Trauma Room two.” Sarah instructed the paramedics, continuing to wheel Kenzie further into the hospital.

Inside the room, the team moved quickly, transferring Kenzie onto the trauma room table as the medics made their way out. “Hey, I need a CBC, BMP, tox screen, d-dimer, cardiac enzyme, and HCG.” Sarah called out to Heather, who sprung into action, getting the necessary equipment for the battery of blood tests just ordered. Sarah then approached the table. “Kenzie, I need you to describe the pain to me again.” Dr. Sarah said, her tone steady. “It’s sharp, like somethin’s pinchin’ me real hard right in here…” Kenzie replied, pressing a hand against her sternum. “And my heart just won’t calm down…” added Kenzie, looking down at her chest. “Alright, let’s start her on a beta-blocker to bring that heart rate down.” Dr. Sarah said to Nurse Heather. Turning back to Kenzie, she added, “Kenzie? We’re running a few blood tests to try and figure out exactly what’s going on. In the meantime, I want you to take slow, deep breaths.” Kenzie nodded, though her eyes remained wide with worry. As the heart monitor beeped steadily in the background, Dr Sarah glanced at the slightly irregular EKG readout, her gut telling her there was more to this case than met the eye.

“How’re you holding up, Kenzie?” Dr. Sarah asked, glancing at the EKG monitor again. Kenzie gave a small, nervous smile. “I’m alright... Just wish my chest would stop feelin’ like this...” The patient answered. “We’re going to figure everything out.” Dr. Sarah reassured her. “First, let’s get a chest X-ray to see if there’s anything structural going on. Nurse Heather, will make it quick.” The cute, nerdy redheaded doctor continued. While Heather stepped aside to arrange the portable X-ray, Dr Sarah continued her examination, carefully pressing along Kenzie’s chest and ribcage. “Any pain when I press here?” inquired Sarah. Kenzie shook her head. “No, ma’am. The pain’s deeper, like… it’s on the inside.” Kenzie answered. Just then, Nurse Heather returned, wheeling the portable X-ray machine closer to the table. “Alright, Kenzie, I’m going to need you to sit up straight for me and hold your breath for a second.” Heather said as she positioned the X-ray plate behind Kenzie. As Heather worked, Kenzie tried to distract herself from the discomfort. “Y’all don’t sound like you’re from Tennessee, huh?” she remarked, her soft drawl making Heather smile. “Nope, born and raised in Virginia, but moved here after I got out of nursing school. “What about you?” Heather continued. “Tennessee through and through.” Kenzie said with a small laugh. “I grew up in Chattanooga. Moved here for work a couple years back. Still ain’t used to the winters, though!” The patient continued. Dr. Sarah chuckled. “Can’t blame you there. I’ve lived here my whole life, and I still complain about the snow every year.”

Heather stepped back and nodded. “All done here. It’ll take a second to get the x ray processed.”

Kenzie leaned back with a relieved sigh. “Thanks, y’all. I appreciate it.” Sarah smiled for a second “of course Kenzie, that’s what we’re here for!”

As they waited for the results, Nurse Heather took a seat beside Kenzie on a stool. “So, Chattanooga, huh? What brought you here again?” asked the young nurse. “Oh, a job offer I couldn’t turn down.” Kenzie explained. “It’s a big change, but I figured it was worth a shot. Didn’t think I’d end up in an ER like this, though.” Kenzie went on, looking down at her chest again, eyeing the wires and EKG electrodes stuck onto her. “Most people don’t, but I promise, we’ll get this sorted out.” Dr. Sarah said, pulling a chair over to review her notes.

Minutes later, the X-ray results popped up on the screen. Dr. Sarah leaned in, her brow furrowing as she examined them. “Well, it’s clear…” she said, a mix of relief and confusion in her voice. “No structural issues, no signs of fluid or anything else abnormal.” Sarah shook her head. Kenzie looked between Dr. Sarah and Nurse Heather, her expression turning more worried. “So… what now? Is that good or bad?” the patient asked. “Now, we have to dig deeper.” Dr. Sarah said with a reassuring smile. “We’ll probably order an echocardiogram. It just means we have to keep investigating. Don’t worry- we’ll get to the bottom of this, we always do sooner or later.” Sarah reassured. Kenzie nodded, though the uncertainty lingered in her blue eyes. She leaned back against the table, her accent softening as she murmured, “I sure hope so, Doc. I don’t like this one bit…” Dr. Sarah gave her arm a comforting squeeze before stepping out to confer with the team about the next steps.

A short time later, the portable echocardiogram machine was rolled into the room, and Dr. Sarah and Nurse Heather began preparing Kenzie for the next round of testing. Kenzie lay back on the table, her wavy, light brown hair cascading over the bed, and her blue eyes fixated on the machine. “We’re going to take a closer look at your heart, ok Kenzie?” Dr. Sarah explained, snapping on a pair of gloves. “This ultrasound will help us see how it’s functioning and if there are any structural abnormalities we couldn’t pick up on the X-ray.” Dr Sarah continued explaining. Kenzie nodded, her tan complexion slightly flushed, whether from nervousness or her condition was unclear. “I ain’t ever seen my heart before… Kinda strange to think I’m about to.” she said, her southern accent softening her words. “Most people haven’t. It’s pretty amazing, though- watching the heart work in real time.” Dr Sarah smiled. Heather applied a cool gel to Kenzie’s chest, and she flinched slightly. “Sorry, I know it’s a bit chilly.” Heather said with a grin, adjusting the probe as Kenzie relaxed. As Dr. Sarah began moving the probe across Kenzie’s chest, an image of her heart flickered onto the monitor. Kenzie’s eyes widened in curiosity. “That’s my heart?!” she asked, her voice tinged with awe. “Yep, that’s your heart, Kenzie.” Dr. Sarah confirmed, her attention divided between Kenzie and the screen. “Right now, we’re looking at the left ventricle- the part that pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of your body.” Explained the doctor, pointing to the screen with one hand. Kenzie’s gaze didn’t waver from the monitor. The rhythmic contraction of her heart was oddly mesmerizing to her- a tiny engine working tirelessly to keep her alive. “It’s kinda beautiful, ain’t it?” she murmured, a smirk on her face. “Never thought about it like that before.” Heather chuckled. “Most people don’t until they see it. It’s pretty remarkable.” Chimed in Dr Sarah, eyeing the ultrasound monitor. Dr. Sarah adjusted the probe, capturing different angles of Kenzie’s heart. The sound of the doppler flow filled the room, a rapid whooshing noise that matched the quick rhythm of her pulse. “Looks like it’s workin kinda hard.” Kenzie commented, her tone a mix of fascination and concern. “It definitely is.” Dr. Sarah said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she examined the images on the screen. “Your heart’s pumping well, but it’s moving faster than it should be. No obvious structural issues so far, which is good, but we’ll have to keep looking.” Sarah explained to the her patient. Kenzie’s curiosity didn’t waver. “Can y’all keep that thang over my chest for a another second? I just wanna look at my heart a little longer!” asked Kenzie, her tone oddly excited. Sarah shrugged, “why not.” Kenzie’s blue eyes lingered on the screen a moment longer, watching the steady rhythm of her heart. “It’s wild, y’all…” she said quietly. “That thing’s been beatin’ inside me since before I was even born. Never really gave it much thought ‘til now…” Kenzie thought out loud. Dr. Sarah gave Kenzie an encouraging nod. “You’re right- it is amazing. And it’s going to keep going while we figure this out! One step at a time.”

A little while later, there were still no answers. Sarah glanced at the monitor- Kenzie’s heart rate was climbing, and her EKG was shifting into a more worrisome rhythm. “Still no labs?” Dr. Sarah asked Nurse Heather, her tone sharp with urgency. “They’re backed up in the lab. I’ve called twice, but they’re swamped.” Heather shook her head, frustration etched across her face. “Alright, let’s focus on what we can do. For now, we’ll manage her symptoms and keep her stable until we get some answers.” Dr. Sarah shook her head. Kenzie, who had been lying quietly on the table, suddenly grimaced and pressed her hand to her chest. “It’s getting’ worse, Doc!” she said, her voice strained. “Feels like my heart’s ‘bout to burst…” Her eyes pinched shut for a second. Dr. Sarah sprung into action and stepped to her side immediately. “Dizzy? Short of breath?�� asked the doctor. Kenzie nodded weakly. “Both! It’s like my chest is getting squeezed, and my head’s floatin’ away.” Explained Kenzie.

The monitor let out a louder beep, catching everyone’s attention. Dr. Sarah’s eyes snapped to the screen, where the EKG now showed a concerning pattern: stable ventricular tachycardia. Kenzie’s heart was beating dangerously fast, and the rhythm had taken on an ominously irregular look. “She’s in stable v-tach.” Dr. Sarah observed, her tone calm but urgent. “We need to start chemical cardioversion now. Heather, get me an IV push of amiodarone.” The doctor called out. Heather nodded and hurried to prepare the medication while Dr Sarah leaned over Kenzie. “Kenzie, your heart’s beating too fast, and we need to slow it down. We’re going to give you a medication that should help. You might feel a little strange when we do this, but we’re keeping a close eye on you.” Dr Sarah explained. Kenzie’s blue eyes were wide with fear, but she nodded. “Okay… just… just don’t let me die, alright?” Kenzie answered. Dr. Sarah squeezed her hand. “You’re in good hands. I promise.”

Heather returned with the syringe and began administering the amiodarone through Kenzie’s IV. Dr. Sarah kept a close eye on the monitor, watching for any sign of improvement. “Take slow, deep breaths, Kenzie.” Dr. Sarah instructed. “In through your nose, out through your mouth. That’s it. Stay with me.” Continued Dr Sarah. Kenzie closed her eyes briefly, her tan complexion now pale. The chest pain was unbearable, but she focused on her breathing, trusting the team around her.

Dr. Sarah kept her eyes glued to the monitor as the amiodarone infusion ran through Kenzie’s IV. The jagged peaks of the EKG line showed no signs of calming, the ventricular tachycardia holding steady. She glanced down at Kenzie, who was visibly struggling. Kenzie’s breaths came quicker now, shallow and labored, her hand gripping the thin blanket tightly. She moaned softly, her face contorted in pain, tears brimming in her wide blue eyes. “Doc… it’s not workin’..,” she uttered, her voice trembling. “It’s getting’ worse. Somethin’ ain’t just ain’t right…” Kenzie shook her head. Dr. Sarah placed a reassuring hand on Kenzie’s arm, though her own heart sank at the sight of the monitor. “I know, Kenzie. We see it. We’re not giving up- just hang in there a little longer for me, okay? We’ll get this under control.” Soothed Dr Sarah. Kenzie turned her head slightly, tears slipping down her cheeks as she winced again. “It hurts so bad…” she moaned, pressing a hand to her chest. “It feels like somethin’ inside’s about to explode!” her voice wobbled. Nurse Heather returned to the bedside, her expression a mix of calm professionalism and urgency. “Vitals are holding, but her heart rate is still climbing-160 and rising. BP’s 124 over 78, but I don’t like how pale she’s getting.” Heather called out. Dr. Sarah nodded, her mind racing. “We need to stabilize her before this escalates. Prepare for synchronized cardioversion. Let’s get the defibrillator ready and explain the process to Kenzie.” Sarah told Heather.

Heather moved swiftly to grab the defibrillator pads while Dr. Sarah knelt by Kenzie’s bedside. “Kenzie, we’re going to try another method to get your heart back to a normal rhythm.” she said, her tone calm but firm. “It’s called synchronized cardioversion. It’s a quick electrical shock, but we’ll give you something to make you comfortable beforehand. This is the next step we need to take.” Explained Dr Sarah. Kenzie’s eyes widened with fear, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Shock me?!” she asked, her voice breaking. “You’re gonna shock me?! But my heart’s still beatin!” Kenzie asked, trying to make sense of what was about to happen. Dr. Sarah nodded, her expression softening. “I know it sounds scary, but it’s controlled, and it’s necessary. Right now, your heart’s working too hard, and we need to help it reset. We’ll give you medication to relax you first- you won’t feel a thing.” Sarah tried to reassure. Dr. Sarah took a deep breath, bracing herself as she crouched next to Kenzie. The young woman’s fear was palpable, her tear-streaked face turned toward the ceiling as her chest heaved with rapid, shallow breaths. “No, no, no!” Kenzie sobbed, shaking her head. “You can’t shock me while my heart’s still beatin’! That ain’t right! Please don’t do this to me!” resisted Kenzie. “Kenzie, I know this is scary.” Sarah began, her voice calm but firm. “I need you to listen to me, okay? Your heart’s in a dangerous rhythm. If we don’t intervene now, it could get way worse- this procedure will help your heart reset before that happens.” Sarah went on. Kenzie’s sobs grew louder, her hands clutching at the thin blanket draped underneath her. “But it’s beatin’! My heart’s still beatin’! Y’all don’t need to shock me! Please don’t do this!” Kenzie continued to resist. Nurse Heather moved closer, her voice gentle but steady. “Kenzie, I know this sounds terrifying, but synchronized cardioversion is different. It’s not like the shocks you see on TV during a code. We’re going to time it carefully with your heartbeat to reset your rhythm. You’ll be relaxed, and it’ll be over in seconds.” Heather chimed in. Kenzie turned her tearful gaze to Heather, her body trembling. “You promise I won’t feel it?” asked Kenzie nervously. “You won’t feel a thing, and we’ll be right here the whole time, keeping you safe. Heather assured her. Kenzie sniffled, her sobs beginning to subside as she processed their words. She wiped at her face with the back of her hand, her breathing still uneven. “Alright…” she whispered shakily. “Alright, I’ll let y’all do it… but please… just get it over with so I’ll be alright.” Consented Kenzie. Heather nodded and began setting up the defibrillator, moving with practiced efficiency. “We’ll take good care of you, Kenzie. You’re doing great.” Smiled Heather.

As Heather peeled the adhesive backing off the defibrillator pads, she glanced at Dr. Sarah. “I’ll place these while you give her something to calm her down.”, to which Sarah nodded. Dr. Sarah met Kenzie’s gaze, offering a reassuring smile. “The procedure will be quick, and complications from this are very rare. You’re in good hands.” Sarah told her patient. Kenzie sniffled again, her tears still flowing but her demeanor more composed. She shivered slightly as Heather placed the first pad on her upper chest, the cool adhesive making her flinch. “Almost there, Kenzie.” Heather said softly, placing the second pad below Kenzie’s left ribcage. Kenzie nodded weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Please… just make me better…” Sarah rested a hand gently on Kenzie’s arm, squeezing it lightly. “We’re going to take care of you, Kenzie. Just relax- we’ll handle the rest.” Reassured Sarah. Kenzie nodded again, her blue eyes fluttering shut, though a single tear slipped down her cheek. “Okay…” she murmured.

As Sarah administered the medication and synchronized the defibrillator, a quiet settled over the room. The hum of the monitor and the faint rustle of equipment were the only sounds. The defibrillator began to hum, a low, rising tone that sent a fresh wave of fear through Kenzie. She moaned softly, her body tensing in nervous anticipation. “I can hear it…” she whimpered, her voice trembling. “Oh God, I don’t wanna do this again…” Kenzie thought to herself. Dr. Sarah leaned in, keeping her tone calm but firm. “Kenzie, I know this is hard, but you’re doing great. Just stay as still as you can, okay? We’re going to try the first shock now. It’ll be quick.”

Kenzie nodded shakily, her hands gripping the edges of the table. “Alright…” she whispered, barely audible “Clear!” Sarah called, ensuring everyone had stepped back before pressing the button. Kenzie’s body jolted briefly as the shock coursed through her. “Ooooo!” she grimaced, her face contorting in discomfort. As the jolt passed, she exhaled sharply, her chest heaving. “That’s… that’s it?” she asked breathlessly, blinking back tears.

Heather leaned over the monitor, scanning the EKG. The jagged, rapid peaks of ventricular tachycardia remained stubbornly unchanged. “No change,” Heather announced, her tone clipped and professional. Sarah’s face tightened, but she quickly masked her concern. She stepped back to Kenzie’s side, crouching slightly to meet her gaze. “Kenzie, I need you to listen to me.” she said gently. “The first shock didn’t work, so we’re going to try again. This happens sometimes. It can take more than one attempt to reset your heart.” Sarah reassured. Kenzie’s blue eyes widened, and fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. “Again?!” she groaned, shaking her head. “You mean y’all have to shock me again?!” Kenzie’s voice wobbled. “I know it’s not what you wanted to hear.” Sarah replied, her voice steady but compassionate. Kenzie sniffled, her bottom lip trembling as she tried to compose herself. “Alright… just… just do it. I can’t take too much more of this...” she whispered hoarsely. Heather gave Kenzie’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “You’re strong, Kenzie. We’ll get you through this.” Promised Heather. Sarah turned back to the defibrillator, resetting it for another shock. The hum of charging electricity filled the room once more, and Kenzie squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself. Sarah’s finger hovered over the controls. Kenzie braced for what was to come, unaware of how much her fight to survive would leave an indelible mark on everyone in the room.

The defibrillator charged again, the rising, electrical hum filling the room with a sense of tension. Sarah glanced at the monitor, the jagged peaks of Kenzie’s arrhythmia still unchanged. “Kenzie, we’re going to try another shock, okay? This one might do the trick.” Sarah eyed Kenzie for a moment. Kenzie barely nodded, her lips trembling as fresh tears streamed down her face. “Please… just make it stop…” she begged, her voice cracking. “Clear!” Sarah called. “AHHH!” Kenzie cried out in pain as the second shock hit her. Her body arched slightly off the table, her large frame twitching involuntarily before falling back against the table. Her breathing was heavy, and she clutched at the sides of the stretcher, her knuckles white.

Heather scanned the monitor. “Still in v-tach…” she reported grimly. Sarah sighed and crouched down next to Kenzie again. “Kenzie, I know this is hard, but we need to try again. I’m going to deliver a third shock. You’re doing so well- just one more try.” Sarah held Kenzie’s hand for a second. Kenzie moaned, shaking her head as her sobs grew louder. “No… no… I can’t do this anymore! Please, y’all, stop! I can’t take it!” she cried, her voice breaking. Heather leaned closer, her tone soft but insistent. “Kenzie, I know it hurts, but we’re trying to save your life. Just hold on a little longer and we’ll get through this together.” Reassured Heather. Kenzie couldn’t speak, her cries turning into gasping sobs. Sarah nodded at Heather, her expression resolute. “Charging…” Sarah said, her voice steady despite the tension in the room. “Clear!”

Kenzie let out a piercing scream as the third shock dashed through her. Her 5’11 frame twitched violently on the table, her legs briefly lifting off the bed. She collapsed back with a loud yelp, clutching her chest as tears streamed down her face. Heather’s eyes remained on the monitor, her expression tight. “Still no conversion, Sarah.” she said quietly. Sarah hesitated for only a moment before addressing Kenzie again. “Kenzie, I’m so sorry, but we need to deliver one more shock. This could be the one that works.” Sarah gently strokes Kenzie’s hair for a second. Kenzie’s head snapped up, her tear-streaked face a mask of anguish. “NO!” she screamed, her voice raw and trembling. “Y’all better not shock me again! I can’t! No more!” she resisted. She clutched at her chest, sobbing uncontrollably as the sound of the defibrillator charging filled the air once more. The hum grew louder, relentless, as Sarah and Heather exchanged a quick glance, each understanding the weight of the moment. Sarah crouched down again, her voice as soothing as she could make it despite the chaos. “Kenzie, I know you’re scared. I know this is hard. But we have to keep trying. You’re stronger than this- you can do it.” Kenzie shook her head frantically, her sobs wracking her entire frame. “No… no more… please…” she whimpered, but the charge was ready, and time was running out.

“Clear!” Sarah called as the defibrillator delivered its next shock. Kenzie’s body jolted violently again, her toes curling involuntarily at the end of the stretcher. Her large, size 13 feet tensed up hard, exposing the soft, thick wrinkles in her soles, and the faint sheen of her white toenail polish glinted under the fluorescent lights. She let out a sharp cry as the electrical current coursed through her, her frame trembling before collapsing back onto the table. Heather’s eyes remained glued to the monitor, her heart sinking as the v-tach persisted. “Kenzie?” Heather leaned over, her tone calm, trying to mask her growing concern. “We’re going to shock again, okay? We’re not giving up.” Heather explained. “NO!” Kenzie sobbed, her voice trembling with terror. Tears streamed down her face as she gripped Heather’s hand tightly, her fingers digging in. “No more, please… I don’t wanna die. I don’t wanna die!” Her voice cracked, raw with desperation. “I’m so scared!” Sobbed Kenzie.

Heather gave Kenzie’s hand a reassuring squeeze, locking eyes with her. “Kenzie, listen to me.” she said, her voice steady and soothing despite the chaos. “You’re not going to die. We’re going to fix this. You’ve been so strong- we’re not giving up on you.” Heather told her patient. Kenzie sniffled, her sobs growing quieter but no less heart-wrenching. She nodded faintly, her chest heaving with uneven breaths. “Okay… Just… just help me…” she uttered, her voice barely audible. Heather brushed a strand of light brown hair from Kenzie’s forehead. “We will.” she promised softly, even though deep down, she couldn’t shake the growing ominous feeling in her chest. The sound of the defib pads charging up filled the air again, rising in pitch. Time was running out, and the unrelenting rhythm on the monitor told a story none of them wanted to face.

“Clear!” Sarah’s voice rang out as she pressed the button to deliver another shock. Kenzie’s body tensed violently, her busty chest thrusting forwards as the current surged through her. “AHHH!” she yelped loudly, the sound echoing through the trauma room. Her hand shot to her chest, clutching it tightly as if trying to shield herself from the pain. Her tear-filled blue eyes darted between Sarah and Heather, no longer seeing the compassionate caregivers who had reassured her moments ago. Instead, her gaze was filled with fear and betrayal, as if she were staring at two torturers. Kenzie gasped heavily, her breaths labored and erratic. “I… I can’t… I…” Her words broke into a series of hyperventilated sobs. Her eyes dropped to her chest, her face growing increasingly pale. She started taking deep, dramatic gasps, her whole body shaking. “Kenzie, stay with us!” Heather urged, moving closer and resting a hand on her shoulder. “You’re okay. Just breathe with me- slow breaths in and out.” Heather continued. Sarah leaned over the monitor, watching her vitals closely. “Kenzie, we need you to stay strong for us, ok?” she added, her voice steady with subtle worry. But Kenzie didn’t respond. Her gasps grew shallower and slower until her eyes glazed over, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her body slumped back onto the table as her muscles went limp. “She’s unresponsive!” Heather called out, moving quickly to check for a pulse. “Crap. Start bagging her!” Sarah instructed, her own heart racing as she glanced at the monitor. Kenzie’s heart rhythm had degraded further. “Get the crash cart back over here! We need to act now!” Yelled Sarah.

“Heather, let’s move!” Sarah commanded, her voice sharp as the team sprang into action. Heather immediately lowered the bed and positioned herself beside Kenzie. Grabbing a pair of trauma shears, she snipped through the fabric of Kenzie’s bra in one swift motion, exposing her chest and large, natural breasts. She interlaced her fingers and placed her hands in the center of Kenzie’s chest, beginning firm, rhythmic compressions. Heather’s compressions, steady and precise, caused Kenzie’s body to shift slightly with each push. The sound of her effort filled the room, accompanied by the steady beeping of the monitor. “Come on, Kenzie, don’t do this…” Heather muttered under her breath as she worked tirelessly on Kenzie.

At the head of the bed, Sarah was laser focused on securing Kenzie’s airway. With practiced efficiency, she opened the intubation kit and inserted the laryngoscope into Kenzie’s mouth, maneuvering it carefully to visualize her vocal cords. Her own breath hitched for a moment as she caught sight of Kenzie’s wide, lifeless blue eyes staring blankly up at her. It was an eerie sight, as though Kenzie was silently witnessing the scene around her. “Tube ready.” Sarah said, sliding the 8.0 endotracheal tube smoothly into place. She secured it with one hand while quickly inflating the cuff with the other. “I’ll start bagging.” Sarah called out, attaching the ambu bag after taping the tube in place. The rise and fall of Kenzie’s chest with each squeeze provided a slight glimmer of hope amid the urgency. “Pulse check!” Heather called after completing her cycle of compressions, her face flushed. Sarah leaned over, her fingers pressing against Kenzie’s carotid artery. She shook her head. “Still no pulse. Resume compressions.” She instructed. Heather nodded and immediately began another round, her hands pressing deeply into Kenzie’s sternum. Each compression caused a ripple through Kenzie’s body, her large frame shifting around. Kenzie’s chest caved in hard, her large breasts juggling around in sync with each individual compression. Kenzie’s belly rippled out as Heather continued pumping away at her chest. “Epinephrine, one milligram, IV push.” Sarah ordered, not taking her eyes off the monitor. Sarah got the medication ready, and administered it into Kenzie’s IV line. “Let’s prep for another shock, she’s not converting.” she added, the tension in her voice rising. “Charging to 200 joules. Everyone clear!” shouted Sarah. Heather momentarily stepped back, lifting her hands off Kenzie’s chest as Sarah delivered the shock. Kenzie’s body jerked sharply on the table, her arms and legs twitching before falling limp once again. “Resume compressions.” Sarah ordered, her tone resolute. Heather immediately leaned back over Kenzie, resuming the relentless compressions, her hands pressing into Kenzie’s sternum with tremendous force.

Heather positioned her gloved hands firmly on Kenzie’s chest, her fingers interlocked and arms locked straight. With each forceful compression, Kenzie’s body shifted on the table, her chest visibly caving under the violent pressure. “five, six, seven…” Heather silently counted in her head as she delivered deep, rhythmic compressions. The monitor beeped steadily with no signs of improvement, the jagged waves of ventricular fibrillation mocking the duo’s efforts. After two minutes of relentless CPR, Sarah glanced up. “Okay, everyone, . Charging to 300 joules.” Sarah called out as Heather backed away from the patient. Heather stepped back, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand as the defibrillator charged. The hum of the machine filled the room, a sound that made everyone hold their breath. “CLEAR!” Sarah pressed the button, releasing the shock. Kenzie’s body flopped violently on the trauma room table, her head rolling slightly to one side as the electricity coursed through her. A sharp, guttural gasp escaped her lips- a reflexive response to the shock rather than a sign of life. Heather’s eyes flicked to the monitor. No change. The unrelenting v-fib pattern still dominated the screen. Sarah sighed heavily, her voice steady but tinged with frustration. “Still in v-fib. Resume compressions.” Sarah shook her head. Heather immediately moved back into position, pressing her hands against Kenzie’s chest once more. The force of each compression sent ripples through Kenzie’s sturdy, motionless frame, her pale skin glistening under the harsh overhead lights. “Come on, Kenzie…” Heather murmured under her breath, her voice almost pleading.

Heather’s hands moved mechanically as she continued chest compressions, but her mind was a whirlwind of emotions. Just a short while ago, Kenzie had been laughing nervously, chatting about her home in Tennessee, her southern accent adding a charming warmth to the conversation. Now, that same vibrant young woman lay motionless beneath her hands, her life slipping further away with each compression. “She was fine… she was fine…” Heather muttered under her breath, her voice barely audible over the whoosh of the ambu bag and the occasional beeps of the monitor. Her jaw clenched as she fought back a wave of frustration and helplessness, tears threatening to blur the young nurse’s vision.

At the head of the bed, Sarah worked diligently, her gloved hands adjusting the ambu bag between compressions to ensure Kenzie’s lungs were properly inflated. But her focus was fractured, her thoughts gnawing at her composure. “Did I miss something?” Sarah’s mind replayed the entire case like a film on fast-forward. Kenzie’s EKG abnormalities, the unsuccessful cardioversion attempts, the worsening symptoms. Had there been a sign- something subtle, that she’d overlooked? “She trusted us…” Sarah whispered, the weight of responsibility settling heavily on her chest. Her voice was so low that no one else heard it. She swallowed hard, pushing the guilt aside as best she could. There was no time for self-incrimination. Heather’s voice broke through the tense silence. “Another two minutes of compressions done.” she announced hoarsely, stepping back as Sarah moved to check the rhythm. The monitor still displayed the chaotic, disorganized waves of v-fib. Sarah closed her eyes briefly, forcing herself to take a deep breath. She had to stay strong for both Heather and Kenzie. “We’ll go another round,” Sarah said, her tone firm but betraying the faintest tremor of weariness. Heather nodded, stepping back into position, but she couldn’t shake the haunting image of Kenzie’s wide, terrified eyes as she begged them not to shock her again. Heather’s heart ached as she resumed compressions, the repetitive motion a grim reminder of how fragile life truly was. During this cycle of compressions, the air in the room grew heavier, the emotional strain palpable. Despite their best efforts, the team felt the creeping despair of a battle they feared they might lose.

Heather’s hands returned to Kenzie’s chest without hesitation, delivering powerful, forceful compressions. Each downward thrust sent subtle ripples through Kenzie’s thick, sturdy frame, a stark contrast between her strong build and her fragile condition unnerving to the team. “Charging to 360.” Sarah announced, her voice steady despite the hectic battle ensuing in the room. The defibrillator’s high pitched whine filled the air as it prepared for the next shock. “Clear!” Sarah called, stepping back as Heather moved aside. The shock was delivered, and Kenzie’s body arched slightly, her feet kicking up reflexively at the end of the table. Less than a second later, her feet plopped back down unceremoniously, her large feet landing with a soft thud, the deep, wide, prominent wrinkles in her soles on full display. Despite the dramatic response, the monitor’s display remained unchanged, with v-fib continuing to display. Heather let out a shaky breath, immediately resuming compressions. “Come on, Kenzie…” she murmured, her voice a mixture of determination and desperation as she continued to press into Kenzie’s bare chest. “Pushing another dose of epi.” Dr Sarah called out, her focus unwavering.

“Let’s prepare for another round.” Sarah instructed, glancing briefly at the clock. The code had been ongoing for several minutes, but she refused to give up just yet. Heather maintained the cycle of compressions, sweat beginning to bead on her forehead as she worked tirelessly to sustain circulation. The team worked in near-perfect synchronization, their actions precise and deliberate. “Hold compressions, Heather.” Sarah said, reaching for the defibrillator controls. The pads were once again recharged to 360 joules as Heather stepped back from the table. “CLEAR!”

The next shock was delivered, the current visibly jolting Kenzie’s body once more. Her arms shifted slightly, and her chest rose briefly before settling back down, but the monitor’s erratic waves refused to stabilize. “No change.” the nurse confirmed solemnly. Sarah clenched her jaw, her mind racing through the remaining options. “Resume compressions.” she ordered. Heather obliged without hesitation, her hands returning to their task as Sarah began to strategize the next steps.

The atmosphere in the trauma room grew heavier with each passing minute. The monotony of the code-compressions, medications, shocks- was relentless, each cycle blurring into the next. The monitor stubbornly displayed the chaotic, disorganized rhythm of ventricular fibrillation, its jagged peaks a grim reminder of Kenzie’s condition. Heather’s movements remained methodical, but her exhaustion was evident in the faint tremble of her arms as she pushed down on Kenzie’s chest. “Come on… come on Kenzie…” she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. She fought the mounting dread gnawing at her, unwilling to accept the thought that their efforts might be in vain. “Another dose of amiodarone in.” Sarah informed Nurse Heather, her voice sharp despite the weight in her chest. She wiped her brow with the back of her glove, glancing at the clock on the wall. The minutes ticked by with an almost mocking speed, the relentless pace of time a cruel contrast to the stagnant rhythm on the monitor. “We need to shock. Charging to 360 again.” Sarah said, her voice steady but her stomach twisting. Heather stepped back as the defibrillator charged, the familiar high pitched whine filling the room like a warning bell of sorts. “CLEAR!” Sarah called, pressing the button. Kenzie’s thick body twitched slightly, her head tilting back as the shock coursed through her, but the monitor remained unchanged. “No response.” the nurse said quietly, avoiding eye contact with anyone in the room. Heather stepped back into position, her hands returning to Kenzie’s chest. Her compressions were just as strong as the first cycle, but the emotional toll was starting to show. Heather avoided looking at Kenzie’s face at all costs, the sight of her lifeless eyes too much to bear. “We’re going to shock again, pushing another dose of epi and atropine first.” Sarah decided, almost her voice almost mechanical, as if detaching herself emotionally could shield her from the growing sense of failure. She caught herself glancing at Kenzie’s face, the memory of her vibrant personality from earlier flashing in her mind. The dread in Sarah’s gut turned into a cold knot. The duo continued, but the energy in the room was shifting. The once vivid determination had given way to a quiet desperation, each team member acutely aware that they were likely fighting a losing battle.

Trauma room two was filled with the incessant beeping of the monitor and the rhythmic thumping of Heather’s compressions. Kenzie’s body shuddered under Heather’s strong hands, her chest rising and falling with the brute force. “Charging to 360.” Sarah said again, her voice strained but composed as she prepared for yet another shock. The defibs whined as it powered up. “CLEAR.” Sarah called. Heather stepped back, her hands hovering as the shock was delivered. Kenzie’s body tensed, her head tilting slightly, and a faint, involuntary moan escaped her lips- a reflex, nothing more. Heather immediately resumed compressions, but the monitor showed no change. V-fib stubbornly persisted, as deadly and unrelenting as it had been since the start of the code.

Minutes blurred together, each one a cruel thief of hope. Heather kept going, her hands now aching with fatigue, her breaths short and heavy. At the head of the bed, Sarah leaned over Kenzie’s face, shining a pen light into her wide, unblinking eyes. Kenzie’s head bobbed slightly with each compression, her lifeless gaze fixed on nothing. Sarah straightened up, exhaling sharply as she slid the pen light back into her scrub pocket. “Pupils fixed and dilated.” she announced quietly, her tone edged with defeat. She checked the clock on the wall. “Kenzie’s been down for 35 minutes, still in v-fib.” Continued Sarah. Heather hesitated, her movements faltering for the first time. She stopped compressions, her hands lingering on Kenzie’s chest before she finally stepped back, her lips pressed into a thin line. The room fell silent except for the relentless alarm of the heart monitor, the jagged peaks of v-fib still mocking the duo’s efforts. Sarah scanned the room for a moment, before looking at Heather, her own face a mask of exhaustion and guilt. Finally, she drew a deep breath and made the dreaded announcement, “Time of death… 14:47…”

The words hung In the air, heavy and final. Heather swallowed hard, her hands clenched at her sides as she stared at Kenzie’s lifeless form. For a moment, no one moved. “Let’s clean her up…” Sarah said softly, breaking the silence. The room was somber as the team began the grim process of postmortem care. Dr. Sarah remained at the head of the bed, her movements mechanical as she detached the ambu bag from the ET tube, setting it aside. Her fingers lingered briefly on the monitor before she reached for the power. button, silencing the alarm that had marked every failed moment of the code. Heather worked delicately at Kenzie’s side, removing the IV lines from her arms and disconnecting the EKG wires. She peeled off the defib pads from Kenzie’s chest, each movement feeling heavier than the last. Her eyes darted to Kenzie’s face- a face frozen in its final, terrified expression. Kenzie’s wide, unblinking blue eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, a hauntingly beautiful stillness overtaking her features. The ET tube remained in place, its end hanging awkwardly out of her mouth, brushing lightly against her pale lips. Heather’s throat tightened at the sight of the death stare, a memory she knew would be impossible to erase.

Sarah filled out a toe tag, her pen scratching softly against the paper. She paused for a moment, as if the simple act of writing Kenzie’s name made the loss feel all too real. With a steadying breath, she knelt by Kenzie’s left foot and slipped the tag onto her big toe. It dangled there, brushing against the deep, thick wrinkles in the soles of Kenzie’s feet- a stark, unyielding symbol of the young woman’s untimely fate. Heather stepped back as Sarah got a cover from a nearby drawer. Together, they pulled the cover up and over Kenzie’s still form, concealing the lifeless gaze that had captivated and haunted them in equal measure. The trauma room grew quiet, except for the shuffle of their feet as they moved around the bed. The finality of it all settled over them, heavy and suffocating. Dr. Sarah placed a hand gently on Heather’s shoulder. “Let’s take a minute, Heather.” she murmured, her voice heavy with emotion. Nurse Heather nodded, but her eyes remained fixed on the covered body before them. No matter how many times she went through this process, the weight of loss never grew lighter. Just like that, Kenzie became the latest beauty to find herself toe tagged and under a sheet in our emergency department.

#resus writing #resus community #resus #cpr resus #cpr #cpr female #dark cardiophilia #medfet #defib #defibs

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severedfromthesource · 2 months ago

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Bite Back

Pt 1/3

Original concept from @delicious-beats. Contains F resus, M rescuer, LUCAS thumper, automated CPR, mouth to intubation tube, depictions of gore, trying to resuscitate a zombie

Blackened veins ran in a spiderweb from the holes in Luffy’s shoulder. She shouldn’t have even been out, Elijah had told her again and again, the fucking news had told her, the trucks with megaphones and military personnel blaring up and down her street for the past ten hours had told her. But she needed to know he was okay. She was always trying to look out for him. He’d never hated her selflessness more than right now.

Her skin was bloodless, her usual dark brown hue sapped until she was completely ashen, the circular row of splotchy red teeth marks and black fissures of veins the only real color left to her body. Her heart was beating arrhythmic on the monitors as the ambulance tried to find a path forward through the streets choked with people fleeing. Her head rolled back on her neck and she looked up with bleary eyes towards him.

“Eli,” she choked out, her throat tight to the point of almost closing up.

They’d dealt with bite victims all day. They’d lost all of them, and then had to cut it and run when the old woman or the jogger or, worst, the fucking ten year old who had been playing soccer, reared back up and tried to take a bite out of them. Elijah cradled her head, his mind racing. The symptoms presented differently with everyone they’d encountered. One spewed blood, one just bottomed out and died, but so far complete cardiac arrest had occurred within the first twenty minutes of contact. His eyes darted to his watch. It had been fifteen since she’d screamed over the phone and he had raced to come find her.

He pressed a square of gauze against the wound, his breath shaking. “Okay,” he said, “Okay, Lu? I need you to look at me, focus on me, hey-“ He held her face with one hand and snapped his fingers near her ear with the other. It lolled like a doll with loose joints. “We’ve got a couple minutes before… b-before the first real symptoms kick in, the really bad ones. But I’m gonna get you to the hospital, alright?” He added in an aside to his partner in the front, “How long you think until we get there?”

“Fuck man,” Jonas spat, “Every street is clogged, the military is setting up choke points on every major road. They’re not gonna let us even through if she’s infected.”

“I didn’t fucking ask about the stupid fucking military, I asked how long until we get there,” Elijah replied in a tone that warned the other man he would not be accepting any other outcome but Luffy making it to the front doors of Saint Edward’s.

“Twenty minutes, if I can find a decent backstreet. Probably forty if I can’t.”

He nearly sobbed. The air left his body in a rush with a stricken noise he couldn’t hold back. Luffy’s hand reached out and grabbed at his shirt.

“Eli,” she sputtered again, but there were tears in her voice this time. “I don’t … I d-don’t wanna die…”

Twenty minutes. Probably over that, but he couldn’t think about that. His eyes snapped to his watch again. Three minutes left. He could keep her heart going. If she wasn’t really dead then she couldn’t be undead. He would keep her alive, and they would cure her, and she would live. There was no other option. Not for him.

Spittle dried white at the corner of her lips as he stared down into her face, those lips he had kissed until they were swollen now trembling and pale. He smoothed hair back from her forehead and leaned in close.

“You’re gonna be okay,” he promised in a low voice, cupping her head with both hands. “You’re gonna be alright. You trust me?” She nodded, even as tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and slid into the pillow beneath her. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. We take care of each other, right? It’s what we do.”

Two minutes. Elijah kissed her sweaty forehead and drew back, collecting everything he’d need for an arrest as the ambulance swayed and bounced over uneven terrain. He snatched out epinephrine, pulled out the AED, strapped her to the gurney, all with an efficiency he didn’t even know he was capable of. Already her heart was beginning to skip, throwing out PVCs on the monitor as her jagged heart rate either spiked above the line or dipped far below it. He eyed the restraints they had on hand, the brace boards for trauma victims and cuffs meant for psych patients. As he drew the LUCAS out, he tested the straps on the sides of the large, crescent moon shaped piece of equipment. There was no telling if they’d hold if she tried to take a swipe at him, but maybe.

Twenty seconds. Elijah gripped the neckline of Luffy’s shirt and tore it down the middle, sweat beginning to drip down the back of his neck and back. She was hardly moving, her bare chest glistening with sweat. Her nipples had lost their color too, and her breasts swayed jerkily with every short, halting breath she managed in. Her eyes were drooping closed. Her jaw twitched open a little and slackened back as she took one more shallow sip of air. Then it left her lungs in a quiet sigh as her chest deflated for the final time. There was one more quick flutter on the monitors, her heart clawing for the last few quivering beats it could manage. Then it stopped.

Elijah clamped down on the welling nausea to tap the timer on his digital watch. Jonas cursed up front as the EKG hummed a flatline. Wasting no time, he slid the curved backboard under her limp body, lifting the LUCAS and clicking it into place above her. The thing settled between her breasts, the flexible rubber plunger flush against her sternum. One of her arms hung limp off the side of the gurney and he took it by the wrist, fixing it in the straps on one side of the machine, then the other. Her fingers curled against the motor case. Elijah jabbed at the controls and turned it on.

The machine jabbed the plunger down into her chest with all the force of a trained EMT. It cratered into her heart, the force displacing through the rest of her body so her belly rolled out, her shoulders rippling with the force of a robot that didn’t care if it felt her ribs pulp under its hands. It had never held her. It had never known the warmth of her. The thing pistoned and made a noise far too loud for the cramped space. Zip, zip, zip, zip, zip.

Luffy’s eyes were half mast and empty, lips parted. Elijah checked the timer. A little over a minute had passed since the start of the arrest. Maybe there was still time for intubation. He snatched the laryngoscope and tilted her head back by the jaw, sliding the metal blade past her bloodless lips and over her tongue. The curved blade made an easy track down her throat, bulging it slightly as he maneuvered an intubation tube down the tunnel of her trachea. He slid it home with one hand, the other resting at the pulse point in her neck to feel the blood being forced to circulate. He knew he couldn’t look at her face. He had to focus on her tongue, her mouth, her teeth, the hard bone of her jaw under his fingers. If he looked at her face, he would lose any shred of sanity he had left. But his eyes slid anyway. They moved down to her eyes- only they weren’t half lidded anymore.

They bore into him, the pupils grey discs in the center of her dark eyes. The whites of her eyes were shot through with red veins. Her jaw clicked as it moved around the intubation tube, her lips peeling back, exposing her teeth.

“Fuck!” Elijah exclaimed and jerked back, his back hitting the wall of the ambulance.

“What, what?” Jonas shouted from the front seat.

Luffy’s body moved, her arms tugging at the restraints, her legs shifting underneath her. They curled up and kicked out, but the belts around her waist held her down. Her back arched against the LUCAS even as it slammed down against her sternum. Elijah heard something shift sickeningly under the skin. A guttural growl rose up from the tube and she thrashed, shaking her head, rolling back as her teeth gnashed against the tube poking from her mouth. She gargled and sputtered and he realized with a jolt that she was tearing up her throat with her bucking and shaking.

“Luffy,” he breathed. “Lu… Lu, stop, stop it-“ He lurched forward, grabbing her jaw, but she snapped her head to the side and clicked her teeth within a hairs breadth of his hand. "Fuck, fuck!"

"Eli! What the hell-"

"Focus on the road!" As he snapped this at Jonas, Luffy burbled a mouthful of blood from around the tube in her throat. He managed to throw his arms in front of his face just in time before it might have splattered in his eyes or mouth. The last thing poor Jonas needed was another flesh crazed cannibal in his ambulance. Elijah had already decided he was saving the woman he loved, and he was going to keep that promise; he just needed to stay warm and breathing to do it.

He lunged for her again, clapping his hands on both sides of her head, just out of reach over her bared teeth. "This is definitely not how you're supposed to intubate someone," he panted, already out of breath, "But I know very well you're not breathing for yourself right now." As if in agreement, Luffy gurgled with a throat full of blood, already darkened by the virus until it was almost black. He wrapped his lips around the opening of the tube and forced a breath into it. Might as well, things definitely couldn't get any worse. His eyes flicked to her chest as the LUCAS did its thing, bowing her ribs in against her spine with ruthless efficacy, and blew another breath into her oxygen starved lungs, even as she fought against it. Six minutes in arrest.

Her arms strained against the bindings and he heard the velcro straps start to go, but she was just mindless and angry enough she didn't seem to understand what was keeping her stuck. She twisted her wrists and struggled until the skin was bruised and raw, but the straps held. They'd hold until they couldn't anymore. He considered a neck brace to try and hold her still enough to attach an ambu bag and actually intube her properly, but if he lessened his hold on her for even a moment, she'd snap and flounder, teeth chomping as they lunged for his flesh. The LUCAS had to be good enough. It was all he had. He stood there, bowed over her, filling her lungs. Each breath forced her chest to rise before it was again crushed under the LUCAS as it beat her heart over and over again. Every time he gave her oxygen, she made a wretched wheezing noise and used the breath as fuel to snarl wordlessly at him. Her legs kicked out, banging against the walls of the truck, scattering supplies tucked into corners. Her body tried to roll up and fight the machine as it relentlessly battered her dead heart.

"Please, stay still, Lu." He stroked his thumb against her cheek, trying to suppress the sobs he felt building behind his eyes. Every time the LUCAS pounded against her sternum, it forced what little air was left in her lungs out, often in a grunt or a a hollow rasp in the back of her poor, abused throat. “I got you, baby. I’m not giving up, not until I get you back.”

She snarled again, but the thumper kept cutting into her displeased noises. “Haaar-huk, graa-ack, huk-“

Ten minutes in arrest. Elijah looped his arm under her chin, pinning her in his bicep to keep her head still, and punched the pause button on the LUCAS. He slipped two fingers under his headlock to feel for her pulse, but the monitor returned to a flatline the moment the automatic compressions stopped. She was still dead even as she squirmed under the restraints.

“Come on, fucks sake, Lu. Give me something,” he muttered, slapping the resume button to once more fill the ambulance with the rhythmic zip, zip, zip noise. Her breasts bounced with the force, her hardened nipples drawing lines back and forth in the air. He breathed once more into the intubation tube. The machine forced the breath back out as soon as he’d given it. She didn’t stop her struggles, trying to fight the thing assaulting her motionless heart. He had to wonder if she felt it pushing stale blood through the chambers and ventricles. He could only imagine how much it must hurt to be conscious during CPR. Her ribcage had probably already been rendered into pudding by now. He could see the bruise where the plunger knocked again and again into her. “I’m sorry,” he found himself whispering.

Thirteen minutes in arrest.

He didn’t know how much more he could take. Seeing Luffy’s face contorted, empty even as it moved and made noise, was starting to break Elijah. Or at the very least break some vital piece of him. He ran his thumbs over her temples as tears silently slipped down the bridge of his nose and patted wetly on her face. She didn’t even flinch. There was nothing left of her in those diseased eyes. He held her still enough in another headlock to check her pupil reactivity, but they were fixed and blown wide with dilation. He didn’t know if that meant the virus was doing its job, or if she was beyond saving. Luffy rattled the gurney as she kicked again, thrashing her body as much as she could while being pinned down by the machine punching into her sternum over and over. Sixteen minutes. Sixteen minutes and absolutely zero electrical activity: her heart hadn’t even quivered. It simply lay silent and still while the rest of her kept moving.

Elijah sank into a crouch, holding onto the edge of her bed to keep himself from collapsing utterly. He heard Jonas radioing into the hospital, but he couldn’t focus on anything but the pitiful gasps and grunts Luffy made as the thumper pinned her beneath it. “Stay still, please God just stay still,” he begged her and felt tears spilling over. He couldn’t hold it back any longer. All he could do was sit there and shake with silent sobs. He couldn’t even focus enough to breathe for her. “Baby,” he rasped in a hoarse whisper, “Please… Jesus Christ, please…. Come back…”

“Eli,” Jonas called again for what had been the third time, but was the first time Elijah had heard him. “They say they’ve got some kind of antidote, they’ve tried it on a few of the infected.”

Elijah wiped tears and snot off in his upper arm. “Any results?” he asked, warbling. The greater part of him wanted to tell Jonas not to bother, that it was too late. That she was gone. The most an antidote would do would maybe put her down peacefully so she could rest easy. But there was that little kernel, that one errant thought that said maybe, maybe she could come back.

“A couple people have come back. Not totally, they think it might be brain damage from the time they spent without circulation. But they stop trying to rip people’s faces off.”

They’d been her life support since the moment she turned. Her heart had barely even been given a chance to stop in her chest. The LUCAS had good rates of spontaneous return of circulation; if anyone could come back, Luffy had been given the best chance.

“They know we’re coming?”

“They’re gonna meet us the second we pull in.”

He stared down into the silver discs of her eyes. She was still in there, somewhere. She had to be. “Hold on, Lu. I’m gonna get you back.”

#resus #resus community #cpr #medfet #cardiophilia #dark cardiophilia #whump resus #resus writing #Lucas thumper

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sweeter-than-teafood · 4 months ago

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One very minor criticism of Sitri’s design, from the viewpoint of someone who shares this guy’s kink irl,

Okay, so bby likes to listen to hearts. Mood af.

But as someone who does that irl with the person I’m romantically involved with, the following position is so comfortable for that purpose;

Laying snuggled up into their left side, right ear directly over heart. Much easier than laying at their right side, because the heart is more situated towards the left. Optimal af.

So whyyyyyyy

Horn on the right hand side of his head? The horn would poke someone if he tried to snuggle from the left side, seeing how it curves around/over his ear.

Bby can’t even have optimal cardiophile snuggles. Crying in the club right now.

Note: this isn’t a serious criticism, he’s perfect af. I was just thinking about scenarios for my writing and was like “Ah shit, he can’t do the best kind of cardiophile snuggles.”

#what in hell is bad #what in “hell” is bad?#prettybusy what in “hell” is bad?#whb #whb sitri #teafoodshitposts #teafood rambles #teafood writes #teafood kinks #teafood would like to apologise if naked ladies appeared after liking and sharing this post.#teafood accidentally fucked around #teafood definitely found out #note to self #don’t tag the kinks without modifying it #whb kinks #whb cardiophilia #whb idiosyncrasies

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beatinginavoid · 7 months ago

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From the Deep

Every part of this room was custom built for one purpose. It was a purpose that many had believed would go unfulfilled. Yet here and now, the room was in use. The lights were dim, and reflected lights danced over the ceiling and some of the walls in mesmerising patterns, dancing and flickering endlessly.

The alluring light dance came from the ripples of the water that filled a massive tank. It took up the full length of one wall, a good thirty feet minimum. It was not quite fifteen feet tall, and contained no foliage or ornamentation, empty but for the water and one other thing.

A figure glided through the water. Sleek and swift, every motion it made caused more ripples on the surface.

The upper half of the figure resembled a young male human, while the lower half was that of a scaly tail with fins. A merman. A legend proven real.

He was a sight to behold.

He had been caught on the edges of the deep sea and seemed to live there. His body certainly suited that mostly unexplored area of the ocean, and what an intriguing body it was.

The merman’s entire body, from his short, wispy hair, to the very tips of his tail fin, was completely transparent. No muscles were visible, nor was there much of a skeletal figure to be seen beyond sharp teeth and a spine. Interestingly enough, no blood vessels could be seen, but every single internal organ, including the muscle that served as the heart, was completely on display.

Multiple cameras were focused on the tank, recording every movement, internal and external. This was groundbreaking new territory, history being made, and no one wanted to mess it up or miss a thing.

They only had one merman so they had to be incredibly careful.

There were thin, barely visible lines following the curves of what you assume are the ribs. The gills? The lungs resembled biology closer to a stingray or a shark, leaving more immediate space around the heart unlike a human, whose left lung hugged the muscle and partially hid it from sight. This was incredibly helpful for an unobstructed view of the epicentre of the cardiovascular system, especially for the excited medical staff that had access to this magnificent specimen.

Standing in front of the tank, the merman’s interest is caught right away and he lunges toward you. He smacks heavily into the glass, his shiny black eyes observing you unblinkingly, his head tilted in confusion as his hands lay flat against the tank wall. He floats to a stop upright, mimicking your posture.

The atria squeeze and his heart swells minutely before the ventricles twist a little and contract. The process repeats again and again, the pumping action fast and relentless. Throbthrobthrobthrobthrob. It’s so hard to look elsewhere because the motion is so hypnotic.

His heart appears to resemble a human’s so much, you can’t help but wonder if it sounds similar as well. A stethoscope was not an option, but there had to be a way.

Time slips by and you notice the rapid pace of his heart has slowed down significantly. Throb…throb…throb…throb…throb. You feel as if your own heart is trying to match it. Does his pulsing organ feel stronger than your own nestled in your chest?

Throb…throb…throb…throb-ob…throb…throb…

Was that a skip? Fascinating to witness!

Was it normal? Harmless? Indicative of a problem?

You scurry off to find help with your stethoscope problem, returning an hour later with a special microphone designed for underwater use. Such devices are used to record the sounds of dolphins and whales, and you hope it will be enough to pick up the merman’s heartbeat, especially if it ends up against his chest.

There’s a metal staircase at the far end of the tank and you ascend it. Leaning over and holding the microphone, the cord wrapped around a pole, above the water carefully, you lower it bit by bit. The microphone is attached to a box with a waveform metre and a speaker. It crackles and gurgles in a muted manner while it moves, the sound loudly reverberating around the mostly empty room.

You wedge the pole into place and resume your former spot before the tank. The microphone dangles in the water just above your eye line and your gaze quickly hones back in on the merman’s chest. The organic pump was still dutifully performing its sacred role, filling with blood and ejecting it to circulate around the rest of his body.

The mer himself gives you a cursory glance before hesitantly reaching out to the invader in his space. Fingers tipped with claws poke at it. Thuds ring out from the speaker and you smile.

He drifts closer to it, his face getting quite close. Fangs flash and the microphone screeches and groans as it is bitten. The mer lets it go quickly, jaw working open and closed a few times. It seems the taste, and maybe the texture, is not to his liking. A see-through hand grasps the microphone with surprising gentleness, creating a ruckus of awful, distorted noise.

Dexterous looking fingers inch their way up the microphone. A slender wrist follows, then a forearm and elbow. He continues to cautiously follow the cord higher and higher, and you bounce on your heels in eager anticipation as his chest finally draws level with the microphone.

Ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump…

There it is. What you’ve been waiting for.

The rhythm, the rate, the snap of valves, the distinct S1 and S2 sounds that make up the oh so familiar lub-dub. There is no way you would ever be able to distinguish this from a human’s regular heart sounds. This could be a major evolutionary find!

The merman freezes in place, his head tilting around. There were no visible ears but he was clearly listening to something. Could he hear the speaker projecting his sounds of life? After a few seconds he sucks in a sharp breath, holds it for a moment, and lets it out.

Ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump..ba-thump..ba-thumpba-thumpba-thumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpba-thumpba-thumpba-thump..ba-thump..ba-thump..ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thumpathump…ba-thumpathump…ba-thumpathump…ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thumpathump…ba-thump…ba-thump…

His eyes are wide and he seemed as enthralled by the sound as you are. Several beats had visibly and audibly skipped and it had been an amazingly delightful experience for you. The acceleration and deceleration of that pulsing muscle was something that could keep your attention for hours.

Or until the call of nature became too much to ignore.

Your hand presses against your chest, your own heart meeting it with faint pushes as if determined to be a part of things.

Throbthrobthrobthrobthrobthrobthrob-

Ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump…

The fast pace of your heart feels weird as the merman’s restful beats fill the room. The two disparate rhythms seem to work together against all odds.

Human and mer stay in place, living in the moment.

-----

My first proper post on here and my first ever piece of cardiophile writing! 🫀🫀🫀 I hope you like it! I may make this mer an OC and play with him more...

pssst: will trade writing for art/anims

#cardiophile #cardiophilia #beating heart #heartbeat #writing #merman #deep sea #innocence #experimentation #gender neutral reader #stething #cardiophile writing

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cardiolove · 7 months ago

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A shock

Max and Chris had known eachother for a little while, enough for max to discover the fact that Chris could do some weird stuff on command. Those said things included being able to raise his heart rate exponentially and heat his body up to a fever.

What they also had figured out about eachother is that they're both cardiophiles.

Max, short for maxine, was about 5'4, a bit on the curvier side and had blue hair. She also had an interest in medicine apart from cardiophilia.

Chris was about 5'9, tanner skinned and his hair was about as long as Max's but it was black. He was neither skinny to the point of bone but not obese either, somewhere along skinny fat.

They had planned a meeting at Max's house, not for their usual coffee and chit chat, but for a little medical fun. Truth is, they found eachother attractive and were close enough in age so that it wouldn't be weird. They had loosely made up a scenario they would role-play to and how it would eventually end, at least that's what Chris thought. What he didn't know was that Maxine had prepared a surprise for him.

Maxine sat in her kitchen, sipping a coffee and excitedly awaiting the doorbell. She was wearing scrubs, the type that doctors wear while working in the emergency room, and a Littman stethoscope draped around her neck.

After about 15 minutes and half a coffee later, the long awaited ring sounded and Max shot out of her chair like she had been electrocuted, spilling a bit of her coffee on the table.

At the door stood Chris, slightly winded from the stairs he had to walk up. He was wearing a loose black tank top and a pair of black sweatpants. His hands were carrying a skateboard and his hair was lightly stuck to his forehead as the heat of outside had caused him to sweat a bit.

"Hii!! Come on in" she excitedly says, jittery from the coffee and the thought of finally being able to enact a long lasting fantasy of hers.

"Hey, sorry for being late I had to pick something up" he says as he sets his skateboard down next to the door. He takes off his sneakers and then pulls out a small bag with 2 brightly coloured candies. "Had to pick these up from my friend Molly" he continues with a wink.

"Oh" she says, a smirk growing on her face as she sees his actions. "Do you want something to drink? A coffee or something?" She offers as Chris puts the bag back into his pocket.

"No coffee, wouldn't want my heart to actually explode now. Just some water for those 2" he said, chuckling. As she went to fetch the two of them some glasses of water, he oriented himself to the nearest mirror, angled his head up, and admired how his pulse was visibly beating already, excitement driving his naturally elevated heart rate even higher.

"Should we take these now or later?" Maxine asks, coming back with two glasses of water. She didn't even try to hide the fact that she was eyeing him, she traced her eyes up and down his arms, torso, legs, neck, shamelessly.

"Now's the best time, you have to wait a few minutes for them to take effect" he said, passing her a piece, grabbing a glass and swallowing the candy piece. "You don't have to if you don't feel comfortable" he reassures Maxine, seeing her looking intensely at the candy. She tells him it's fine and immediately swallows it, this being one of the last few times she's going to do what he tells her.

"Go ahead and get comfortable in the other room, the doctor will be with you shortly" Maxine tells, tearing a hard inhale from Chris as he nods and heads off to the bedroom. When the brunette enters the room his eyes glisten when he sees and ekg machine and a defibrillator, even if they won't truly be used he could still already feel himself stiffening and his heart thud against his sternum harder.

As he sits on the bed and takes a few breaths, their scenario not starting with full on panic level tachycardia, the door opens and Maxine walks in, her stethoscope swaying around her neck.

"Hello Mr. Gutierrez, I see here that you've been having some trouble breathing, is that correct?" She said, looking at a chart. Chris quickly got into character and started breathing heavier.

"Yes, it's been happening for a few days so I figured I should come here and get it checked" he said, resting a hand on top of his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

She extended her hand resting two fingers upon his carotid to feel his quickening pulse before moving behind him. "Lift your shirt up, i'm going to listen to your lungs, the stethoscope might be a bit cold" she orders him.

He reaches behind him and pulls the back of his shirt up. He fakes a faint wheeze when asked to breathe deeply, as they had talked prior.

"You have slight abnormalities in your respiratory sounds and your pulse is a bit fast for just resting, I will have to proceed to further investigations." She says, writing in his chart.

"My... chest h-hurts" he chokes, using his abilities he raises his heart rate into tachycardia, up in the high 140's as his chest starts heaving.

"Lay on the bed i need to listen" She quickly says but not before he grabs her palm and presses it to his chest to feel his heart fluttering. After he lays down she takes off his tank top, gaining better access to his heart while also running her hands up and down his body.

"He-help me" Chris pleads, enjoying the feeling of his heart slamming against his sternum, the Molly they took earlier starting to kick in. Max quickly puts her stethoscope against his chest and listens to his heart rate soar over the 150's, his heart thudding almost three times every second. Maxine listens closely, pressing her hand against his chest. Watching as her hand is moving to the rapid staccato of his heart, he throws a skip... a few seconds later another one. The mauve headed doctor is impressed by Chris' control over his heart. They had a safe word if anything went wrong so they knew to stop.

Thud thud thud thud thud-DUN

"Wow..."she whispered unconsciously, which only made Chris more turned on and made his heart gain even more speed. His dick was now almost fully erect, yet they were only at the halfway mark of their scenario. His mind was starting to numb and he basked in the feeling. After she finished listening, she started putting the ekg leads on him. Quickly, the room filled with rapid tempo beeping with the monitor showing irregularities here and there.

"I- I can't breathe" he said, this sentence being a signal for the next part of their scenario. After Chris said the key words, he rolled his eyes to the back of his head and he started shaking, no... not shaking, seizing. Maxine pressed a button on the ekg machine and the rhythm changed to a preset one she had set. The ekg line becoming erratic as he keeps seizing.

"I need some help here!" She said to the empty room. Maxine now secretly turned on the defibrillator, as the next step was flatline and fibrillation. What Chris didn't know is that the defibrillator was real and could actually administer shocks. Just as she set the voltage on the defibrillator Chris stopped seizing.

She pressed another button on the ekg that showed Chris was in ventricular fibrillation. "He's fibbing, charge the defibrillator at 150" she said, putting gel on the defib paddles. Not shocking him quite yet, just miming it like they had planned. He pushed his chest up against the paddles and then back down when she pressed them.

"Shit, flatline" she verbalizes, only exciting Chris more, his erection now uncomfortable against his boxers. Maxine placed the stethoscope against his heart, hearing it thrash around his chest. His heart was now visible on the left side of his chest, hard to notice but there. His whole body was throbbing in time with his thrumming pulse.

"Starting compressions" she announces, lightly pressing on his chest, not deep enough to cause true damage like real compressions would, but enough to feel amazing for both him and her, especially him. She could feel his pump battering at her palm. She finished a set of thirty and went to give him rescue breathes which he gladly took but also turned into kissing. Hungry kisses, so hungry.

"I need a better angle" she says seductively. Saying that she moves from his lateral and climbs on the bed, straddles his lap right on top of his metal grade erection and resumes compressions. His body Is burning and his heat is radiant. She finishes the second round of compressions and in between rescue breaths "come on" she pleads.

"Fibrillation again, charge to 200" this time, she presses the button to charge, the defibrillator set at 50 joules, enough to affect him but not kill him.

"CLEAR!" She announces, stops touching him, and shocks him. He shoots up, caught in an adrenaline high, he presses his hand to his heart and laughs.

"WOOO THAT FEELS INCREDIBLE" He shouts. Chris grabs the stethoscope and puts it in his own ears and presses it to his chest. With a mesmerized look, he hands the earpieces to Max. As she puts them in her ears he grabs her hand and puts it on his chest.

"Oh my God... are you okay" she says, almost drooling. She chuckles at the question she just asked, Chris' heart is beating around 200 times every single minute, that's more than 3 times per second. There's moments where he slips into atrial fibrillation and skips back to pulse. As incredible as this sounds to Maxine, the better it feels to Chris.

"Oh... it feels so good" the tanner says, grabbing Maxine and starting a make-our session with her, and Oh was it heated, in mere seconds they were creating friction and were moaning messes. Chris took off the top of Max's scrubs only to find nothing underneath but hot flushed skin. With the steth still on his chest, Maxine moves down from his lips and onto his neck where she sucks and bites like a vampire, leaving marks all over Chris' neck, she especially pays attention to his distended carotid, tracing it with her tongue before attacking it, feeling his pulse incredibly fast against her mouth.

Chris grabbed onto Max's hair and started bucking his hips forward, his body flooding with pleasure. The pain of her teeth, the thudding in his chest, the pressure on his dick. It was driving him feral.

"Your turn now" Chris said.

Shall be continued? Tell me what you guys think because this has been gathering dust in my drafts for almost a year. Also, not proofread so tell me if it's incoherent.

#cardiophilia #cardiophile #neck pulse #heartbeat #writing #cardiofic #self indulgent #don't remember how this idea came to me #defib #rp

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roxiewyatthb · 9 months ago

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Your Property

Synopsis: A cardiophile reaching into another cardiophiles chest, controlling their heart (in a way that powers allow you) as requested by @maddieheart wc:577 cw: heart squeezing, irregular heartbeat, heart vocabulary, teasing

"Can I use it on you again?" They spoke up, voice quiet but stern.

Their partner stood silent for a brief moment, knowing exactly what they meant by "it". The night was quiet and relaxing, something they both enjoyed after a hectic day, but it seems that would be interrupted now -- not that either of them would ever decline -- it was just unexpected tonight.

Their heart started beat faster at the thought of them doing it once again. It was always thrilling. They loved it.

"As if I would tell you 'no'." They chuckled, adjusting their position from laying on the bed to now sitting up against the bed frame, "I'm all yours." Those words escaped breathlessly.

With haste, they scooted over to their partner -- waiting for them against the frame with their chest exposed -- completely ready for what they wanted to do.

"Okay..." Their voice trailed off while they reached forward to drag their hand across their partners bare chest, palming along the skin, feeling their heart pound underneath, "You know what to do."

With that cue, their partner took a deep breath in.

And slowly released it.

As they breathed out, a light colored aura coated their hand and was now slowly reaching into the chest of their partner. With each passing second they got closer to their heart.

"You're doing great...just a little more." They reassured them, now millimeters away from the muscle that pulsed life into their partner, and in less than a second they would make contact.

Cold fingers wrapped around their heart, causing it to skip a beat and flutter at the sudden contact, and also causing them to laugh at how their partners heart reacted.

"It always flinches when I touch it. It's so cute."

They only respond with a nervous laugh -- even with the amount of trust they have for one another it's always nerve-wracking to have someone physically touch your heart.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle. I always am," They lightly squeeze their heart, forcing it to stutter even more, "Aren't I?"

Their partner tried to stifle a pleased noise, biting down on their lower lip to prevent anything from leaving their throat.

They laugh again at this gesture, smiling sweetly at them while rubbing a soft thumb against their right ventricle, enjoying the feeling of their heart now racing in their hand.

Faster.

They grip it a little harder -- a little rougher -- enough to make it pause and pick up once again but at an even faster pace.

So fast.

Stumbling.

A few beats pass before they decide to move again, this time they'd try something completely new -- using both hands.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Their partner asked, voice wavering at the sight of their other hand now reaching into their chest.

"I want to feel all of you..."

Two hands wrapped around their heart now.

The first one stood in it's original place while the other reached further up to carefully squeeze their fingers in between their superior vena cava, aorta, and pulmonary artery.

This new feeling is exhilarating. It felt so much different than just wrapping their fingers around their ventricles. It was so much more...intimate?

They felt each beat -- each passing of blood -- between their fingers.

Contracting and briefly hugging each finger in unison.

The only thing that would top this right now would be seeing their heart in front of them, beating away.

That would be an ability they'll strive to learn next.

#cardiophilia #cardiophile #cardiophilia writing #heartbeat kink #cardiophile thoughts #beating heart #roxie writes

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waywardserpent176389053 · 9 months ago

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Natsuki's Doki Doki Panic Chapter Two

Here is the second chapter, this time with editing provided by the talented @nursepunkdreams.

Circling Darkness

At first, Natsuki could only feel the throbbing of her heart. It was hummingbird fast, uncountable, and as tentative as the slight beat of their wings.

And it hurt. God, did it hurt. As though someone had sunk several needles into her chest and her heart was being forced to contract around them.

But that wasn’t quite right. Her other senses trickled in one after another. More pain. The soft hiss of compressed air; something strapped to her face, and a scattering of smaller somethings attached to her chest. A shrill, rapid beeping…

She winced. She was in motion, for sure—whoever was driving had hit some rough road. She tensed and tried to focus on something else.

Natsuki finally opened her eyes. She recognized the interior of an ambulance right away and tried to take it all in. An intravenous line snaked into her arm, and a dozen EKG electrodes covered her naked chest. A green mask fitted around her face fogged with her every breath.

Her vision wouldn’t quite focus, no matter how much she willed it to, and her thoughts didn’t fare much better. The whats, the whys, the hows of everything—it all escaped her.

“Hey there.” The paramedic noticed her wandering eyes. He gently touched the side of her face to center her gaze on him. “You just rest, okay? You’ve been through a lot. We’ve got you.”

She wanted to demand some answers, but was distracted by someone touching her shoulder. It looked like…

“It’s okay. I’m here too,” Monika reassured her in a soft tone. She watched worriedly as the other paramedic inched his stethoscope around her chest. “You fainted in the club room… so we’re just going to the hospital for a checkup. That’s all.” She placed her hand in Natsuki’s.

The paramedic let out a short sigh when he finished his examination and replaced the instrument around his neck.

“Still tachy. ETA?” He called out to the front.

“A minute, if that.”

Natsuki allowed herself to take some relief in that. The hospital would fix everything, right?

“Ah—” Her breath caught with a particularly painful spasm of her heart. The patient monitor sounded off with a new alarm as the spasms continued, and her hopes began to wane.

“She’s throwing some strong PVCs,” the paramedic said. He looked concerned scanning the monitor’s readout. “Hanging out around 180—pulse ox is dropping…”

Natsuki didn’t understand what the words meant. She looked to Monika for context and found her looking down at her, tense with worry—even more so than before.

That couldn’t be good.

“We’re here,” Monika gently relayed the information to her with a hand on her face. “I’ll be close by, okay…?”

She barely registered what she had said. There was a bit of jostling, some fussing by some unseen hands and the voices attached to them; the panel lights flashing overhead… but all she could focus on was her heart, beating out of control. It skipped and stuttered along in double-time, threatening to give out…

Then she came to a stop. She thought she glimpsed a sign that said ‘Cardiac Care Unit’, but she didn’t have time to think about it further. Suddenly her body was aloft, and then manhandled into position on a new bed. On every side, people were a blur of activity and an indiscernible torrent of medical jargon she couldn't hope to understand.

“Hi there Natsuki, are you with us?” One of her attendants spoke loudly and clearly, but still with a reassuring lilt. She waved her hand in front of her face. “There you are. You’re at the hospital, okay? Your heartbeat is very irregular, and we need to give it a little jolt to get it back to normal…”

She continued talking, explaining, but the words faded. On her opposite side, another medic was readying a defibrillator. She’d seen them, in movies, of course—but never in real life. The heavy capacitors were placed on her chest: one under her collarbone and the other under her breast. The team stepped back, and the man holding the paddles shot her a sympathetic look.

The shock was sharp and sudden, so much so that she hardly grasped that it had happened at all. She gasped, the trace read flat, and she became hyper aware of her heart. For a second, she was able to trace every part of her rebellious cardiac organ. Every blood vessel, valve, nerve, all of it; as though she could view it in a three-dimension space…

Then the muscle contracted. Once more, blood rushed to the rest of her body. She started to hyperventilate. The sensation—the awareness—was overwhelming. The monitor continued to broadcast a rhythm that was far too rapid.

“No change—still v-tach…”

She braced for the worst. The twin capacitors settled onto her chest once more.

The second shock struck her. The muscles of her back tightened and thrust her body against the defibrillator paddles, as if trying to buck them off. Her heart clenched like a fist, the electricity forcing a contraction. She slumped back onto the bed and her heart relaxed, still for a moment, then one beat… another…

No third beat. Natsuki’s heart, tired from all it had been through, merely twitched and spasmed.

She felt like she was sinking. The action around her grew more frantic—one medic rushed forward to compress her chest, another grabbed a bag-valve mask as her breath fled her lungs in a drawn out wheeze.

Her vision frayed into darkness at its edges. She feared the worst, but…

She could still see.

A medic frantically worked her chest, caving her ribs with every shove. Another tore off her mask and replaced it with the bag valve. She squeezed the bulb fast and steady, raising her chest with each repetition. It brought an ache in her ribs to her attention, and she found herself with the wherewithal to wonder if it was broken. Having barely finished her thought, she also noticed the pain of her ordeal was rapidly subsiding.

This is so embarrassing… Natsuki thought when her head was a little clearer. She hadn’t bared her chest for anyone in recent memory, but now a whole half dozen—or more—got to behold her pathetic body. She could feel her small breasts jiggling with each thrust, and going by what parts of her body felt clothed… she was only wearing her pink panties and white socks.

Natsuki thought she might expire fully right then and there.

She was reminded of the gravity of her situation then. She was fucking dying.

No… no! Not like this! She couldn’t reconcile with it. Her life had been utterly terrible for so long—it was only just getting good. She had a nice place to live! A crush on a cute girl! And she most certainly did not deserve to die from a sudden heart attack. She still needed to graduate, start a bakery… have sex at least once—not put into a casket at the ripe old age of fucking eighteen.

The compressions stopped, and the defibrillator was placed against her once more.

Please work, Natsuki begged. The current rippled through her and arched her back. Her jaw clenched, and for a second, all she saw was light. It rapidly gave way to darkness.

The void lingered just long enough to make her think this might be it. But she realized—she could still think, and then, she heard the noises around her. They were muffled, as though coming from the next room over, but enough for her to cling to for dear life. There was an alarm—shrill, persistent; a backdrop against the desperate voices of the team working her code.

She became aware of the compressions resuming next—suddenly acutely aware of her ribs being forced down; of her sternum pushing into her heart. The weight moved the arrested muscle down, stopped only by her spine; her ribs growing more pliable and fragile by the second. Beneath her chest wall, the organ was squeezed like a rubber ball; the valves within forced open as the blood was ejected. She could feel it—the blood pushed through the hungry arteries… and could discern, somehow, that it wasn’t nearly as effective as her heart beating normally. Between each thrust, her heart would swell as the blood rushed back.

All of this, in less than a second. But time dilated beyond all meaning now. The artificial rhythm continued at pace, and Natsuki felt the cadence with exacting clarity. Her heart continued to twitch. It reminded her of a plate of gelatin being shaken.

It occurred to her then—she hadn’t really considered her cardiac health all that much. Sure, she’d been a bit worried about it recently, but she didn’t think about it as a distinct part of her. She supposed she’d abstracted it somewhat—it having took on the appearance of a classic cartoon heart in her mind's eye, rather than the complicated mass of muscle it actually was.

Natsuki tried to give herself a shake. The present moment was far more pressing than this weird little detour her mind had taken… she needed that heart to beat again.

The compressions let up and air flooded her lungs. She relished the feeling. Breathing was good…

More of that, please…

She was met with more compressions. It would have been a relaxing cycle, if not for the mortal terror of it all.

Attempting to shift her mind elsewhere, she thought of her heart again. She could feel it so clearly, after all… perhaps she could figure out what the hell was wrong with it. She imagined turning it over in her hands, looking for anything amiss.

Her mouth being forced open broke her train of thought.

Oh… that’s kind of unpleasant… she thought dreamily as the endotracheal tube was guided down her throat. She wanted to gag, but didn’t, and when air came again at last, it inflated her lungs even more than before.

Alright, tube… I forgive you, Natsuki thought, still dazed. She allowed herself to luxuriate in the newfound oxygen and expected the cycle to resume, but it didn’t—instead of the hands ramming her heart, she felt two familiar weights against her chest.

Natsuki steeled herself as best she could.

Please, shocky things… please work—

The defibrillation forced her eyes open for a moment. Her heart, as with every shock before, locked up and ceased its twitching. She could see her chest arching against the paddles; the large, ugly bruise that had settled between her breasts; the breathing tube taped in place at her lips, and the many medics desperately trying to save her.

Maybe she was imagining things, but… she thought they didn’t look particularly hopeful. Her organ had stilled. There was an agonal contraction after a long pause, and then it started quivering again.

Natsuki groaned. The shock had hurt like hell. And not only that, but it had failed to revive her. At the very least… the pain was evidence she was still alive. It had to be. She tried to recenter herself, but—

They must have increased the voltage. The electricity snaked through her muscles, pulling each one taut as the current leaped from one paddle to the other. Her spine bowed and her heart seized with the current. She could trace the individual nerves of the organ as they fired all at once, the muscles at their end squeezing with as much strength as they could spare. Then—as before—it relaxed and returned to spasming.

Natsuki was getting a little frustrated now. Weren’t they supposed to call out ‘clear’ or something? A little more warning would be nice…

The compressions returned, and she began to riddle over her fibrillating organ once more. There must be an issue with her nerves—they were still sending out signals, but not the right ones. That must be why her heart was shaking instead of contracting. She traced her own cardiac nerves, trying to find which ones weren’t working, not sure what she would do if she found the right one…

The paddles were placed around her heart again.

Okay… gotta focus, she thought, with newfound determination. When the shock comes, I gotta force that nerve to—

The defibrillation rocked her body. Her heart contracted; its electrical signals scrambled. Natsuki traced the current…

There!

At the top of her heart, there was an entire cluster of nerves firing all at once from the external current. One of those nerves stood out to her, and even though she couldn’t tell how… she knew that was the one.

The charge dissipated, and her heart fell still. It stayed still.

The sinking feeling from earlier came back tenfold and Natsuki fought hard to keep her head above water. She was suddenly so cold, and the sounds from outside grew ever indistinct. She could only just barely make out the team’s voices…

“Asystole…!” One attendant shouted.

“Losing her!” She heard another cry.

The sensation of the chest compressions returned to her, but numb and distant.

Her life flashed before her eyes. Memories from the early days, when her mom was still around… those fleeting peaceful moment between the shouting matches and slamming doors. She hadn’t taken Natsuki with her, when she left—and she’d always blamed herself for that.

She was a pitiful child, after all. There were the years where she barely had any friends—thin and destitute, scrounging around for whatever food that man left for her—never enough to fill her. She was reminded of learning to bake, so she wouldn’t starve over summer break, and the comics she gorged herself on to give her any sense of hope.

More recent images flashed before her. Like joining the Literature Club and meeting all of her new friends.

That man being arrested, freeing her at last.

Planning for college. Baking new things—not for survival, but for fun.

All of it so recent. And so, so short.

Natsuki suddenly saw that all she would amount to would be a girl who never got the chance to really live—who got only the smallest taste of a good life before it was cruelly snatched away.

The darkness boiled around her; the cold threatening to consume her.

No!

She was not going to die!

Natsuki desperately thrashed against the death that surrounded her. She could still feel her body—the chest compressions, the air pumped to her lungs; the faint sounds of the efforts to revive her. She pushed upward, as if swimming towards the surface of an endless lake.

Natsuki had spent years reading manga. She tended toward slice of life and comedy—stories of girls just hanging out and having a good time, but she had read a bit of everything. Horror, romance, erotica, dramas, sometimes even action/adventure, if she was feeling a bit bored of her usual fare.

She envisioned herself as the protagonists of one of these adventures. Downtrodden, bloody—but standing up and defying the odds nonetheless. The second wind was coming.

She was going to survive this.

In her mind’s eye, she wrestled with her heart; begged it function. She pleaded and coaxed, and then, she was overwhelmed by an awful, acidic burning sensation in her veins. It moved closer to her heart with each press on her sternum, and she felt sick about it, but she knew it was likely the doctors still trying to save her and tolerated it as best she could.

The drugs soon arrived at her cardiac center. Nerves, once quiet, began to fire again. Slowly at first, then swiftly gaining speed—before long, the muscles attached returned to their unconditioned shaking.

Yes! Natsuki reveled in her triumph, even though it was largely the drugs that had done the heavy lifting.

Come on! Hit me again, shocky things!

As though the team could hear her, the weights of the paddles were promptly settled onto her chest again. Natsuki readied herself, but her timing was off. The fibrillation continued, and she prepared for the next jolt.

Three, two, one…

Another current rolled through her and she rode along it, pouring every ounce of her will into forcing her heart to beat once more. The cardiac muscles tightened, then relaxed, then remained still.

The darkness swirled around her. Natsuki clung to the light.

That was supposed to work, damn it!

Time was dilating again, and the creeping coldness settling in was fogging her mind. The distance between the compressions and voices stretched on further and further, as though she were adrift at sea, being pulled further and further away by the unforgiving yet undeniably gentle tide…

She felt more acidic drugs pouring into her veins and thought—for a scant moment—that her heart would react and start spasming again. But the organ did not respond. The voices of the medics cut in and out, hazy; painfully indistinct. Despite her senses failing, she still picked up the droning cry of the monitor, a flatline certainly running across it. In her altered state, it signaled to her that there was some great, terrible predator stalking around her, waiting to take her into dissolution.

My name… she thought desperately. It’s… my name is Natsuki. I like good manga, cute things… and baking! She tightened her focus. And… I love my friends, Monika, Sayori, and Yuri. God, Yuri… if I live for anyone, it’ll be for you!

She held onto this thought loop for dear life. A shield against the tide, against the cold, against the predator stalking near… if she could just hold onto herself… her friends…

Something changed. It was hard for her to focus on other things, but this was different. The compressions had stopped, but her heart wasn’t twitching. The asystole alarm continued, although distorted, as if she was hearing it underwater.

Oh… they gave up… she thought, despondent.

After all that, despite everything, her time was up.

The immense void moved in.

Yuri…!

She was numb, completely and utterly, but… there was no doubting it. She was being cut open. She struggled to remember why that might be happening.

Was she… dead? Was this a morgue; an autopsy? Something cold forced her ribs apart, snapping them like twigs.

That hurt. That hurt!

She remembered the names of her beloved friends and focused on the pain.

If I can still feel pain… then I must be… still alive…

Something new invaded her chest. They wrapped around her heart and squeezed. Hands, maybe. Blood shot through her arteries.

Natsuki rallied.

They haven’t given up! They’re still trying!

Her mind was scattered, but she tried to focus. She centered her attention on her stubborn heart.

Come on… work! Do something!

More drugs. It all felt so terrible, but she grit her teeth and didn’t dare break her focus.

A flutter. Then another, then her whole heart was thick with fibrillation once more. She could feel it so clearly; it was injured, weakened from its ordeal. The repeated shocks, the drugs, the lack of oxygen… and something deeper.

Some small thing that had always been there.

Natsuki lacked the vocabulary for it, but she knew, more than anything, it was the root cause. It wasn’t her nerves misfiring for seemingly no reason—it was this. This little thing she didn’t have a name for.

This flaw.

Small metal discs were placed against her heart.

Mini shocky things… she thought hazily. She knew she didn’t have much fight left. The creature stalked, just outside her perception, she knew—waiting for her to slip up.

Wait for the right—

Her heart was the sun as the charge smashed into it. Even though the capacitors were smaller, it was many, many times more intense.

Natsuki shook it off and readied herself. Her heart continued to shake meaninglessly.

Heh… rule of threes, she thought wryly. It’s now or never…!

The third hit. As her nerves sparked and fired; as the cardiac muscles clinched; as blood sloshed forward from the artificial beat—Natsuki took hold of one thought and bent all her will towards its success. She screamed it, howled it, bellowed it:

BEAT!!!

The heart relaxed as the charge dissipated. It was still.

Then, a nerve fired. Others followed. The muscle contracted—dared to contract.

And again. Then it stumbled, but caught itself.

Ba-dup… ba-dup… ba-dup…

If she could, Natsuki would have collapsed out of sheer relief.

She’d lived. She’d fucking lived.

She knew that her heart was still in poor shape; that she wasn’t out of the woods just yet. But that didn’t matter.

For now, she was alive. The rest could come later.

A new darkness rose around her, a friendlier one—a blanket of simple unconsciousness. She took the offer; she was exhausted in her bones. Her friends' faces rushed past her; she’d kept them. Held on so tight. Let them guide her back to the world of the living.

“I’ll see you soon, okay…?” she murmured, too quiet and indistinct for anyone to hear.

Her heart continued to beat. It was battered… and Natsuki knew, deep down, than it wouldn’t last much longer in the grand scheme of things. But for now, it would fulfill its function. Softly, as if exhausted itself, it beat.

And Natsuki lived.

#resus #cardiophile #cardiophilia #heartbeat #female resus #female heartbeat #storytelling #defib #female defib #cpr #resus writing

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starlightiing · 26 days ago

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Title: Rhythm and Balance

Pairing: Haasbands (Kevin/Nico H)

Summary: A brief glimpse into a soft moment shared between Kevin and Nico in the midst of a crazy season.

Warnings: Cardiophilia

Written for: @hulknussen just because I can 😊

It’s nearly midnight by the time their glasses of wine are properly empty and the soft, gentle glow of the moonlight filters across the floor - edging ever closer to the foot of the bed where, Nico muses, they should have been tucked in for sleep hours ago.

It’s rather interesting, really, just how easy it is to fall into conversation with Kevin. That isn’t new information, not in the slightest, but when they find themselves knee-deep in stories of the past and hopeful discussions of the future, the likes of which empty an entire bottle of wine in what feels like mere moments, it never fails to amaze him.

Kevin is still faintly smiling, the remnants of amusement from the latest story Nico told, but there are obvious tells to his exhaustion. His eyes are beginning to rim red just slightly, and he’s no longer able to hold his head up without the assistance of one of his arms. It’s an endearing sight, but with lots to do on both of their schedules tomorrow, Nico knows better than to admire for too long.

“Go to bed, before you fall asleep on the table.” Nico instructs softly, though fond amusement lingers in his tone. “I won’t carry you back if you do.”

Kevin scoffs, lifting his head up from where it had been comfortably lounging against his palm. “Way to make a guy feel warm and fuzzy right before bed.”

Nico smiles at that, something warm and painfully keen, as he reaches forward and collects both of their wine glasses between his index and middle fingers. Despite the banter, Kevin does drag himself to his feet and trudge over towards the bed as if it’s the most arduous thing he’s ever had to do in his life. What a silly man, Nico thinks –

His silly man.

Pushing those thoughts aside - he thinks perhaps the wine might be influencing his mind into a softer, more vulnerable state - he places the glasses down into the sink of the kitchenette and fills them half-way with water. He then takes the empty bottle of wine from the table and rinses it out a time or two, before placing it in the recycling bin near the hotel room door.

With a sigh, he quickly glances across the dining area of the suite to be certain they’ve not left any messes behind. Dinner has already been boxed up and put in the mini fridge, all of the trash is in the bin, and everything looks just as proper as it had when they arrived just a few hours earlier. Satisfied, Nico now drags his own feet over towards the bed where Kevin has already made himself very undeniably comfortable. For a split second, Nico even thinks he might already be asleep, but that is squandered when one eye squints open and lands directly on him, watching him carefully as he crawls onto the opposite side of the bed.

“Hurry up, it’s cold.” Kevin mumbles from beneath the blankets, turning himself towards Nico’s side of the bed and lifting up the blankets. Nico worms his way inside of them, hooking one of his legs comfortably between both of Kevin’s as he settles. Nico’s foot, nearly as cold as ice, brushes Kevin’s much warmer calf in the shuffle and it elicits a surprised hiss from between Kevin’s teeth. It’s ridiculous enough to make Nico chuckle guiltlessly in response as he shimmies in closer.

“If your hands are as cold as your feet, don’t fucking touch me.” Kevin warns him, though the words lack any real bite. If his hands are as cold as his feet, well, Kevin will simply have to deal with that, of course.

“Romantic,” Nico retorts, allowing himself to be surrounded by the warmth of Kevin’s arms as they snake around him and pull him close. “That would punish you more than it would me, I think.”

Kevin hums in response, neither confirming or denying such a blasphemous accusation, Nico guesses, and shifts the two of them carefully until Nico is slowly brought against a firm, sturdy chest. It’s the very same firm, sturdy chest he’s grown to know so painfully well over the past year, the one that’s eagerly cradled his head more times than he can count on his fingers, and his eyes involuntarily flutter closed because he knows exactly what comes next.

Kevin sighs, and it’s such an interesting sound with Nico’s ear pressed against the upper part of his chest. He can hear the way the air fills Kevin’s lungs, surprisingly hollow and wispy, and then how it leaves in a huff as he exhales it out. It’s truly a beautiful cadence, one that could alone lull Nico off to sleep effortlessly, but much to his chagrin, that is not the only sound hidden behind the safe confines of Kevin’s ribs. There’s something more, lingering behind the steady whoosh of breath. Something deep and bassy, rhythmic, ever as steady as the man for whom it works tirelessly for: Kevin’s heartbeat.

It’s Nico’s turn to sigh now, and he can physically feel all of his lingering tension leave his body with the gentle motion of his chest. There is something so raw, so inherently visceral about listening to another person’s heartbeat. The level of intimacy that comes with hearing the very sound of someone’s life beating from within their chest is one Nico has experienced scant few times in his life. Each and every beat is a continuance of Kevin’s existence, the complexities of electrical impulses, muscle stimulation, and pure luck that keeps his heart pumping blood through his body like it’s so simple a thing. With each contraction, there are thousands of things that could go wrong and yet? And yet fearlessly his heart beats, completely unaware of how impressive and awe-inspiring it truly is.

Not only is it the precious engine that powers Kevin’s body on the day to day, it’s also a bright beacon for his emotions and feelings. Nico has learned over the years that there is nothing you can truly hide, not if your heart has any say in the matter. A prime example is the way Kevin’s heartbeat, already slow and steady, only continues to relax in its gentle tempo beneath Nico’s ear as he drifts off into sleep. The change in pace is noticeable, the space between beats growing as the muscles of Kevin’s heart relax and it pumps slower and slower, its services only needed at the bare minimum while he’s unconscious in the soft comfort of sleep.

Nico hums softly, an involuntary sound as he nuzzles further into Kevin’s chest. It’s almost as though he can wiggle himself even closer to Kevin’s heart, as though he could reach his hand out and phase it through skin and bone and pericardium until the tips of his fingers lightly brush against the warm flesh of the very organ whose rhythm Nico follows and tracks as if it’s the most important sound in the entire world.

And perhaps, he thinks, as his mind drifts off into a delicate state of unconsciousness himself, perhaps it is.

#hulknussen #haasbands #kevin magnussen #nico hulkenberg #f1 rpf #f1 fanfic #fluff #cardiophilia #my writing

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ay-heart-collection · 11 months ago

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Story writing: Soul of Warrior

In the ancient land of Egypt, where the scorching sun painted the vast desert in golden hues, there lived Eshe, a young and beautiful warrior. She possessed a captivating allure, her slender body curves accentuated by the intricate battle armor she wore. Her ebony hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and her eyes shone with a fierce determination that set her apart from others.

From a tender age, Eshe had felt the call of battle pulsating through her veins. Her heart beat wildly with courage and a burning faith to protect her land and its people. She trained relentlessly, honing her skills with various weapons and mastering the art of combat. With each passing day, her resolve grew stronger, and her courage became an unyielding force that propelled her forward.

When the time came for her land to face the perils of warfare, the young warrior stepped onto the battlefield with unwavering bravery. Her battle armor gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting her indomitable spirit. With every stride, her heart thumped with a resolute rhythm in her firm chest, echoing the courage that flowed within her.

The clash of weapons and the cries of warriors filled the air as the battle raged on. Eshe fought with a grace that mesmerized all who beheld her. Her movements were a symphony of strength and agility, her strikes precise and powerful. With each swing of her blade, she defended her comrades and brought down adversaries with unwavering focus.

In the chaos, Eshe's heart remained steadfast, the light of courage that guided her through the tumultuous fray. She faced formidable opponents, their strength and skill were testament to the challenges she encountered. But she met each adversary head-on, her eyes filled with unwavering determination, as she fought to protect her land and the people she held dear.

As the sun began its descent, casting a warm glow over the battlefield, the young warrior continued to battle. Her heart still pounding with the fire of her convictions. The dust settled around her, clinging to her sweat-drenched skin. As she stood tall, her breath ragged but her spirit unbroken.

As the battle raged on, the young and beautiful warrior found herself face-to-face with a mysterious figure. Their agility and power were unmatched, and she struggled to resist their relentless onslaught. With each clash of blades, her strength waned, and her heart ached with the weight of the fight.

Gasping for breath, the Eshe's grip on her blade faltered, and it slipped from her grasp. She watched in despair as it clattered to the ground, leaving her defenseless against her formidable opponent. Her chest heaved, her body drenched in sweat beneath the weight of her battle-worn armor. Every muscle screamed with exhaustion, begging her to relent. But she knew she couldn't give up, not now, not ever.

Her heart thundered within her firm chest, a resounding drumbeat that echoed through her being. It was a steady rhythm of determination, refusing to yield to the encroaching fatigue. She could feel her pulse racing, the surge of life force coursing through her veins, as her eyes locked with the piercing gaze of the mysterious figure.

In that moment, a wave of emotions surged through her. Fear and uncertainty mingled with a relentless determination that burned like an inferno within her soul. The exhaustion threatened to consume her, but the courage within her heart strengthen her.

With her heaving chest rising and falling with each labored breath, she steadied herself, her eyes never leaving the advancing figure. Her voice, though strained, carried a resolute tone as she mustered her last reserves of defiance.

"I may be weary, but my spirit remains unbroken," she declared, her voice laced with a mixture of exhaustion and resoluteness. "Though my body may ache, my will to protect this land and its people is unwavering. I will not falter!"

Her words echoed through the battlefield, a rallying cry that resonated in the hearts of those around her. Despite the odds stacked against her, she stood tall, her posture defiant, ready to face whatever came her way. The mysterious figure, momentarily taken aback by her resolve, sensing the braveness that radiated from her. However, her determination did not hesitate the figure.

As the figure approached, she tried to dodge the impending strike, her mind racing with strategies. However, her exhausted body betrayed her. It felt as if her limbs were encased in lead, her body knelt down, refusing to respond to her desperate commands.

Her brilliant-blue eyes widen as the opponent blade deftly danced along the edges of her armor, expertly picking it apart with each precise strike. Piece by piece, the once-protective shell now scattered all over the place, exposing Eshe's firm heaving breasts to the world.

Her heartbeat, though rock hard, not from embarrassment but from deep-seated resentments towards her powerful rival and her own self, pounded within her chest, seemed to echo through the battlefield. Its beats reverberated in her ears, a relentless cadence that mirrored her inner turmoil. With each pulse, her chest tightened, a mix of resistance and dread intertwining within her.

The figure's gaze locked onto the throbbing point at the inner side of her left breast, their eyes narrowing with an eerie intensity. As they extended their blade towards that vulnerable spot, a surge of panic coursed through her veins.

In that suspended moment, her thundering heart seemed to intensify, its pounding echoing in her ears like a war drum. It was a symphony of resilience and defiance, a testament to the warrior's unyielding spirit. But now, it was accompanied by a disheartening realization that her body had reached its limits.

Eshe's voice, laced with frustration and determination, trembled as she mustered her final words.

"I... I will not... be defeated," she gasped, her breaths ragged and shallow.

"I have fought... with all my... might... I... will not... yield…"

The cold blade made contact with her warm, vulnerable skin, a shiver ran down the young warrior's spine. Eshe seized the hilt of the invading blade, trying to block its advance. She gritted her teeth, yet feeling the blade slowly pierce into her flesh, inch by agonizing inch. However, amidst the searing pain, she remained steadfast, unafraid of the impending fate that awaited her.

Her heartbeat, once fierced with resentment, now pulsed with a mixture of acceptance and faith. She believed with conviction that the powers of Ra and Anubis would guide her soul through the darkness, leading her towards the embrace of the afterworld. With each passing moment, her body reacting instinctively with the journey of the blade, break through her sternum, slowly penetrated deeper into her heart.

One inch. A gasp escaped her lips, a sharp intake of breath as her body reconized the intrusion. Her chest tightened, as if instinctively trying to shield her heart from the impending damage. The defensive fear coursed through her veins, heightening her senses even as her physical form weakened.

Two inches. A wave of intense pain washed over her, radiating from the point where the blade had pierced her flesh. It felt as if fire coursed through her veins, consuming her with each passing second. Her muscles twitched involuntarily, a reflexive response to the trauma inflicted upon her.

Three inches. Yet, amidst the pain and the weakening of her physical form, Eshe remained resolute. She clung to her beliefs, her faith in the divine, and the knowledge that her sacrifice would not be in vain. With every beat of her thundering heart, she whispered a silent prayer, seeking the strength to endure until her final breath.

Four inches. Through gritted teeth and with a voice strained by pain, she spoke her last words, filled with a mixture of resignation and determination. "Though my body may falter, my spirit will endure," she rasped, her voice barely above a whisper. "I am but a vessel, a servant of the gods. In their embrace, my soul shall find solace."

Eventually, the blade pierced out from her back, declaring that Eshe's heart had been completely penetrated. Her vision blurred, lifeblood coughed out from her lips. Her once lighted body grew heavy as her life force waned, no longer responding to her will, as if acknowledging the weight of the sacrifice she was making.

As the battle came to its final crescendo, the fallen warrior's life was honored with a solemn burial. Eshe had fought bravely, but now her body lay still, prepared to be preserved as a mummy. The embalmers carefully preserved her body. Her heart, a symbol of her strength and courage, remained nestled within her chest, ready for the journey that awaited her in the afterlife.

In the depths of the underworld, Eshe's consciousness stirred in darkness, However, her senses awakening to a realm beyond the mortal plane. Before her, loomed Anubis, the formidable deity of the underworld. His presence both intimidating and enigmatic. Eshe holding her heart, bearing the scars of last battle, she approached the mighty god, her pulse quickening with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. Her fingers trembling as she held it out on the scales of Libra, the instrument of judgment.

Anubis, with eyes possess the ancient wisdom, fixed his gaze upon the young warrior's heart. Its surface bore the marks of struggle and sacrifice, etched into its very essence. The heart, a symbol of her indomitable spirit, pulsed with a vibrancy that defied the darkness that surrounded them. Anubis extended his hand, his touch both gentle and all-knowing, as he embarked on the sacred task of weighing her heart against the Feather of Ma'at.

Eshe's heart, scarred from battles fought, held within it the echoes of her faith and courage. Beating with a resolute rhythm, a testament to her unyielding resolve in the face of adversity. Every scar, a reminder of the sacrifices made for a cause greater than herself, told a story of resilience and unwavering loyalty.

The Feather of Ma'at, symbolizing truth and justice, remained motionless, undisturbed by the weight of the Eshe's heart. It was a testament to her purity of spirit, her unwavering commitment to righteousness and honor. Anubis raised his hand, a gesture of approval, as he deemed the young warrior's soul worthy.

A smile, both innocent and profound, graced Eshe's face. Tears welled up in her eyes, a mixture of joy and relief, as she realized the significance of Anubis's judgment. She had earned her place in the afterworld, her soul deemed worthy by the ancient gods. The weight of her burdens lifted, replaced by a sense of peace and serenity.

With Anubis's blessing, the gates to the afterworld opened before Eshe. The celestial embrace of the heavens and the ancient gods beckoned her onward. Her spirit, freed from the constraints of the mortal realm, soared with a renewed sense of purpose and vigor.

With each step she took into the embrace of the afterworld, the spirit of the young warrior resonated with a profound sense of fulfillment. She had faced the judgment of Anubis, and her heart had emerged triumphant. In the celestial realm, she would find solace, purpose, and a place among the revered heroes of old.

#Female heart #Dark cardiophilia #Story writing #Heart stab #AI Support #Ancient egypt

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risherrd · 4 months ago

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#heartbeats #dark cardiophilia #female cardiophile #heart attack #heart beats. write privately and please share me #gravity falls #leafs lb #leafs #tickle fluff #st louis blues

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kk095 · 7 months ago

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Life and Death in the ER: Dr Lindsay

*Good evening everyone, I hope all is well. I greatly appreciate all the positive feedback on my last story Alexa's Arrhythmia! I'd like to try something a little different with the story you're about to read. Although it may not be everyone's cup of tea, I think it's a great opportunity for you guys to get to know some of our go-to characters a little better. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it!*

Aside from medicine, Dr Lindsay’s passion in life is running. The cute, sporty tomboy doctor we all know and love was a college track star at the D1 college she attended once upon a time ago. Believe it or not, Lindsay had legitimate Olympic aspirations, and at one point in time, she was set to qualify for the United States women’s track team. But fate had other plans, which came in the form of a sudden, severe ACL and LCL tear in her left knee. Reconstructive surgery was performed and she of course recovered, but Lindsay definitely lost her X factor. Even though Lindsay could still run circles around 99% of humanity as a 33 year old with a bum knee, she lost that slight edge all those years ago, which is all it took for her Olympic hopes and dreams to go up in smoke. Sometimes Lindsay thought “what if?” in regards to her potential professional sports career, but at the same time, being an ER physician fulfilled her in a different way.

Lindsay truly embraced her role as a doctor and caretaker in the emergency department, always going the extra mile for her patients and thinking outside the box to try to save them. Time after time, Dr Lindsay found herself in the midst of life and death struggles in the trauma bay, always seeming to have her hands inside the chest of a beautiful woman. But right now, somewhere in an alternate reality, the role was reversed, with Lindsay being the beauty fighting for her life in the all too familiar emergency department.

The room Lindsay found herself in was quite a scene. A cacophony of sound hit anyone the instant they set foot in the room. Alarms and monitors were going off. Orders were being barked. Footsteps pitter-pattered around the room. The high pitched, electrical whirring of defibrillators charging echoed around the room from yet another unsuccessful shock. The tension was palpable.

All across the floor of the room, various items were strewn about. Wrappers from bits of medical equipment were tossed to the ground. Empty, used up blood transfusion and IV bags found themselves discarded. Lindsay’s bloody, tattered clothes also wound up on the light colored tile after a brief encounter with a set of shears. Small droplets of blood made a trail leading from the room’s entrance, all the way over to where the trauma room table was.

On the table, underneath the harsh, bright, fluorescent overhead light was the center of attention for the room’s occupants. Dr Sarah, Nurse Nancy, and Nurse Heather worked as a trio, each lady knowing their role inside out, backwards and forwards, from A to Z. Everyone knew their jobs at an expert level, but it was easier said than done for the emergency department’s triumvirate to maintain composure and impartiality, considering a friend and colleague was the poor soul requiring their lifesaving services this time.

Nurse Nancy, the 20+ year veteran of the ER who’s been there, done that, and seen it all stood at the head of the bed ambu bagging, sending much needed air into Dr Lindsay’s lungs. The stress, chaos, gore, and shock that came with being an ER nurse never fazed Nancy, especially after being exposed to such things for over two decades. But in this scenario, Nancy struggled. This wasn’t a stranger on the table tonight. Nurse Nancy couldn’t wrap her head around the idea of the ER’s go-to, unanimously loved leader being the one on the table this time. Heck, Nancy couldn’t even bring herself to look down at the table, not wanting to see her friend’s face, or the overall shape she was in. There was a knot in Nancy’s stomach, and her heart was racing. She hoped and prayed Dr Lindsay would pull through, but as each minute ticked by, each one faster than the last, Nancy’s hope was soon replaced by dread.

Heather, our emergency team’s dependable, hardworking nurse who regularly showed her moxie, stood off to the side of the table, tasked with keeping an eye on the heart monitors in order to note any changes, as well as pushing meds and setting up any equipment Dr Sarah may need. Heather’s eyes were trained on the heart monitors, which displayed a squiggly, sinuous, unorganized line. That squiggly line Heather watched signified something called ventricular fibrillation- a situation where a patient’s heart is twitching instead of actually beating, typically requiring a defibrillator shock in order to restore normal cardiac activity. Ventricular fibrillation, commonly known as v-fib amongst healthcare professionals, was something Heather has seen more times than she could count during her handful of years as a nurse. However, Heather found herself stunned when eyeing the heart monitor, coming to the stark realization that a familiar face was the one being resuscitated this time.

Dr Sarah, the cute, petite, nerdy redheaded doctor who, for all intents and purposes, was Dr Lindsay’s right hand man and most important ally in the battlegrounds of the trauma bay, stood right up against the table, doing anything and everything to bring her fellow ER doc back. Sarah had her gloved hands inside Lindsay’s chest, which was splayed open earlier in the struggle via a clamshell thoracotomy. The redheaded doctor’s hands were firmly wrapped around Dr Lindsay’s boggy, fibrillating heart, vigorously massaging away. A wet, rhythmic squishing sound was produced from Sarah’s internal compressions. “come on Linds… come on….” Sarah uttered under her breath, trying to fight the overwhelming emotions that attempted to consume her. “You were just talking to us Linds… Come on…” continued Sarah, trying to will Lindsay back amongst the living.

Sarah composed herself for a moment. “Let’s shock her again. Recharge the paddles to 30, Heather.” Ordered Sarah, stepping up to the plate. Heather did what she had to do. She set the crash cart to 30 joules and hit the charge button. The high pitched, electrical whining of the internal paddles charging filled the room as Heather handed Sarah the large, spoon shaped devices. Sarah pulled her hands out of Lindsay’s chest cavity and grabbed ahold of the internal paddles. Dr Sarah lowered the internal paddles into the gaping chasm of an incision site, around Lindsay’s erratically fluttering heart.

While her friends worked urgently to save her, Lindsay laid on the table, stripped completely nude, her toned, athletic body on full display in a room full of familiar faces, the violating nature of that fact going to the wayside due to the dire essence of the situation. Lindsay’s sandy, light brown hair was tied back in a messy bun or ponytail of sorts, being held in place with a black headband. The doctor’s icy, sky blue eyes remained open, her pupils the size of dimes, staring up above with a full blown death stare etched onto her face. She was intubated, with the ET tube being secured by a blue tube holder around the area of her mouth and lips. IV lines stuck out of both her arms. Her torso was littered with EKG electrodes and wires. A chest tube stuck out the left side of Lindsay’s ribs, redirecting blood and trapped air outwards. The rest of her upper torso, and belly to a lesser degree, were soaked with a combination of both blood and betadine. However, Lindsay’s chest was the main sight of shock and awe. Her chest had a large, crude, gash just below the nipple line, extending the entirety of her chest horizontally. Not only was there a massive gash, her sternum was sawed in half, and her chest was splayed open via a clamshell thoracotomy. A metal rib retractor sat dead center in her chest, keeping everything open. A large, metal vascular clamp stuck up and out of the incision site. Sarah could also be seen holding the internal defibrillator paddles in place in anticipation of a shock.

“Paddles charged. Everyone… CLEAR!” Dr Sarah called out, everyone else stepping back from the table. THWACK. The shock was delivered. “mmmph…” Lindsay moaned softly, her torso twitching sharply in response to Sarah’s shock. The trio paused after the shock. The monitors beeped fast and loud, everyone’s eyes looking over to see if there was a change. “Come on… she’s still in v-fib. I’m going again at 30. Everyone…. CLEAR!” shouted Dr Sarah, immediately shocking Lindsay again. Lindsay’s shoulders shrugged forward and her arms shivered, a wet thump being heard. Like before, Dr Lindsay’s heartbeat was unable to be restored. Sarah decided to up the ante, shocking her friend and coworker at 40 joules during the next go around. “MMMM!” Lindsay moaned louder, as if she could feel the stronger intensity of the shock. Again, v-fib persisted. “I’m going again at 40! Everyone…CLEAR!” Barked Sarah, determined to keep going. The next shock caused Lindsay’s toes to scrunch up hard at the far end of the table, showing off the bright white nail polish on her toes, along with the wavy, thin, but prominent wrinkles that permeated the soles of the big, size 11 feet she was always so self conscious of.

Sarah wasn’t giving up, and neither was v-fib, so the fight was on. “Going again at 40! Everyone… CLEAR!!!” Sarah passionately yelled out, shocking Lindsay once more. Lindsay’s torso shot up and plopped back down hard all within the span of a second. The monitors kept alarming, but by that point, the trio tuned out the noise of the monitors, considering they were well aware there was a major problem. In the seconds after that shock, Lindsay’s heart fluttered and danced weakly for a moment, before coming to a sudden, complete stop. The heart monitors flatlined, and Lindsay’s heart sat completely motionless inside her cracked open chest. Lindsay’s beautiful blue eyes stayed wide open, staring up above, almost as if she was watching her friends determine their next move.

The flatline on the monitors was an absolute gut punch for everyone. Sarah stood there holding the internal paddles, deep in rumination about her next move. At the head of the bed, Nurse Nancy shined a pen light into Lindsay’s eyes. Lindsay’s pupils were the size of dimes, completely blown, not reacting to the pen light in the slightest. “oh… poor baby…” Nancy uttered, placing the pen light back in her breast pocket. “Pupils fixed and dilated.” Nancy continued, informing everyone, shaking her head. Heather looked over at the heart monitor. “Asystole on the monitors, down 37 minutes.” Added Heather. There was a collective pause after Heather’s words. Nancy didn’t say anything, but she went ahead and detached the ambu bag from the ET tube, a small amount of air quietly hissing out. The two nurses looked over at Sarah, knowing they’ve done all they could for their friend, but needed Sarah to make the final call.

Dr Sarah stood there shell shocked. Sure, Sarah has lost patients before- any ER doctor has. But this was different. This was a coworker. A colleague. A leader. Someone she looked up to. But most importantly, this was a friend. Sarah felt morally and emotionally obligated to continue resuscitation efforts. How could she just give up on Lindsay? At the same time, Dr Sarah viewed the situation clinically and logically. She knew that all possible options were exhausted. An asystolic patient with a downtime of 37 minutes and blown pupils was too far gone for additional interventions. With all this in mind, Sarah snapped back to reality, eyeing each member of the trauma team. Dr Sarah didn’t say a word to any of them. Finally, her eyes looked over at the clock that sat on the back left wall of the room. Sarah gently placed the internal paddles back down on the crash cart, then peeled her blood soaked, latex gloves off, her heart racing, eventually making the dreaded announcement. “Time of death, 8:08pm…” Sarah’s voice wobbling, on the verge of tears.

Nobody said a word, but everyone knew exactly what to do next. Nurse Nancy switched off the flatlined monitors, silencing the once noisy, hectic room. Heather disconnected the EKG electrodes and removed the IVs from each of Dr Lindsay’s arms. A blue surgical drape was hastily tossed on top of the open thoracotomy site, obscuring Lindsay’s inert, motionless heart from view. A toe tag was then filled out and placed on the big toe of Lindsay’s left foot. The tag dangled against the fine, thin, but prominent wrinkles that permeated the soles of Lindsay’s feet. Lastly, a cover was placed over Lindsay, concealing the hauntingly beautiful gaze forever etched onto her face. Unfortunately for Lindsay, a cruel twist of fate- and perhaps irony resulted in her dying in the very place she spent so much of her time. In this alternate reality, Dr Lindsay was now the hottie who laid toe tagged and under a sheet in the emergency department.

#resus writing #resus community #resus #cpr resus #cpr female #cpr #medfet #dark cardiophilia

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